Compare software

Heisenbridge vs Spectrum 2: catalog facts
Heisenbridge	Spectrum 2
Best for: Matrix users who want personal IRC access from their Matrix client	Best for: Server operators who want to connect users across different instant messaging networks
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
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 users on different IM networks Runs on your own server All 3 strengths for Spectrum 2 Bridges users on different IM networks Runs on your own server Actively maintained code base
Requires your own Matrix homeserver Updates are infrequent	Server software that needs setup and an existing messaging server Little end-user documentation on the homepage
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
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 Spectrum 2 spectrum.im github.com/SpectrumIM/spectrum2 Catalog checked October 2, 2026

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