Spectrum 2
Spectrum 2 is an open source instant messaging transport. It allows users to chat together even when they are using different IM networks.
Little to no recent activity. Treat as unmaintained until proven otherwise.
Commit activity more than 18% of tracked projects; popularity more than 21%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 421 |
|---|---|
| Latest release | 2.2.1 · 12 Jun 2023 |
| Repo updated | 24 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | GPL-3.0 |
| Built with | C++ |
Is Spectrum 2 actively maintained?
Over the last 11 months the project absorbed 44 commits, of which 33 arrived in the most recent quarter — roughly 11 commits a month.
Activity is accelerating: the last quarter carried 200% more commits than the one before it.
The last tagged release, 2.2.1, is over 3 years old. If you deploy, expect to build from the default branch rather than a stable tag.
Spectrum 2 ranks #33 of 46 tracked communication - custom communication systems projects. Several better-maintained options exist in the same category — they are listed below.
What Spectrum 2 actually does
Spectrum 2 is an open source instant messaging transport designed to bridge different communication networks together. It allows users on separate chat services to interact within a unified environment. The software is written in C++ and released under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Best fit: It is suited for administrators looking to connect disparate instant messaging protocols into a single communication infrastructure.
Worth knowing: The project exhibits low maintenance activity, suggesting you may need to patch bugs or handle compatibility issues yourself.
Deployment notes
As a C++ application, you will typically need to compile the source or manage native packages, alongside setting up standard persistent storage and a reverse proxy for network traffic.
Links
Alternatives to Spectrum 2
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
Communications platform that puts data protection first (alternative to Gitter.im and Slack).
Notification infrastructure for developers.
Customer communication platform (alternative to Intercom and Zendesk).
Platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle, can be integrated with Gitlab (alternative to Slack).
Fully-featured Matrix client for Web, iOS & Android.
Share sensitive information securely with self-destructing links that are only viewable once.