Compare software

Heisenbridge vs Matterbridge: catalog facts
Heisenbridge	Matterbridge
Best for: Matrix users who want personal IRC access from their Matrix client	Best for: Communities linking chat rooms across several platforms
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Self-hosted	Windows, Self-hosted, Command line
Works like an IRC bouncer controlled from Matrix Docker builds and a Synapse docker-compose example All 3 strengths for Heisenbridge Works like an IRC bouncer controlled from Matrix Docker builds and a Synapse docker-compose example Lighter than a full channel-mirroring bridge	Bridges a long list of chat protocols REST API for custom integrations All 4 strengths for Matterbridge Bridges a long list of chat protocols REST API for custom integrations Mattermost not required despite the name Docker image available
Requires your own Matrix homeserver Updates are infrequent	Last code update in December 2024 Needs a server or always-on machine to run All 3 limitations for Matterbridge Last code update in December 2024 Needs a server or always-on machine to run Configuration is done in text files
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Heisenbridge github.com/hifi/heisenbridge Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Matterbridge github.com/42wim/matterbridge Catalog checked October 2, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.