# Matrix IRC Bridge vs OpenWA

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Matrix IRC Bridge | OpenWA |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 5 in Bridges | #2 of 19 in API Management |
| GitHub stars | 507 | 16 377 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +371 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Latest release | 4.0.1 · 26 Oct 2026 | v0.26.0 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenWA scores 77/100 against 58/100 for Matrix IRC Bridge, so it is the safer default.

OpenWA ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for Matrix IRC Bridge.

If you want the quickest setup, OpenWA is easier to run; Matrix IRC Bridge needs more configuration.

OpenWA is growing faster right now (+371 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Matrix IRC Bridge](https://selfhost.directory/project/matrix-irc-bridge) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/matrix-irc-bridge.md)
- [OpenWA](https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openwa.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/matrix-irc-bridge-vs-openwa