IronDivi vs the C++ node

1Two nodes, one chain

The original Divi node is written in C++ and descends from Bitcoin Core by way of PIVX. Its last release is v3.0.0 from July 2023, and it reports itself to other nodes as DIVI Core: 3.0.0.0. Divi Desktop runs a copy of it behind its window.

IronDivi is a new node written in Rust. Its latest release is v0.2.5 from October 2026, and it reports itself as /IronDivi:0.2.5/. It follows the same chain, accepts the same blocks, talks the same network protocol, and answers the same commands, so you can swap one for the other and your scripts keep working. The rest of this page is about the edges where that is not quite true.

Everything below was measured on 2026-10-21 with both programs running on one Ubuntu 22.04 machine, each synced to the testnet tip, with the same IronDivi and C++ node installs the previous tutorials walk through.

2What is the same

• The chain. Both nodes reported the same height, and the same hash for block 100,000 (5d279fae…702c), to each other and to the explorer. A block is valid on one if and only if it is valid on the other.
• The network. They connect to each other and to the rest of testnet. Our IronDivi node's eight peers were all C++ nodes.
• The wallet. Both use the same 24-word recovery phrase and the same key tree (m/44'/301'/…), so a phrase from one restores the same addresses in the other.
• The commands. 94 commands exist on both, with the same names and arguments: everything in A tour of irondivi-cli works unchanged with divi-cli.
• The command tool. irondivi-cli and divi-cli take the same command words. Only the way you tell them which network and folder to use differs (step 4).

3Files, folders and ports

The network ports match, so two nodes on one machine still need one of them moved with port, whichever programs they are.

4Starting and configuring

The C++ node takes single-dash options and the same words in divi.conf; IronDivi takes double-dash options and a TOML file. The common ones:

The C++ node reads testnet=1 from the settings file; IronDivi does not, because it needs to know the network before it knows which folder to read the file from. Give --testnet on the command line every time, to the node and to irondivi-cli. Three things only IronDivi has: --addressindex and --spentindex for looking up any address's history, --disablewallet to run with no wallet at all, and --export-chain to write the chain out as JSON. The full list for each is in Config files explained.

Start-up feels different. The C++ node spends about two and a half minutes on "Loading wallet" before it opens a single connection; IronDivi had its first two peers one second after starting.

5Commands only one of them has

We asked both nodes for every command, then called each name that appeared on one side only, so this list is what the programs actually do, not what their help text claims. Masternode commands exist on both and are left out of this tutorial.

C++ node only (IronDivi 0.2.5 answers Method not found):

• invalidateblock, reconsiderblock, reverseblocktransactions, getinvalid: tools for marking a block bad and undoing it.
• ban (IronDivi has setban, the Bitcoin Core name, instead) and setmocktime, a testing aid.
• encryptwallet: IronDivi 0.2.5 has no wallet passphrase at all. Its walletpassphrase and walletlock exist but there is nothing to lock. Wallet encryption is already on IronDivi's main branch and should be in the next release.
• bip38paperwallet and signTransactionWithAddressKey.

IronDivi only (divi-cli answers Method not found):

• Staking from the command line: setstaking, reservebalance, getmintinginfo.
• Address lookups: getaddressinfo, validateaddresses, getaddresshistory, getaddressesbylabel, getimmaturebalance, getkeypoolsize, gettxindex, rescanblockchain.
• Fees: estimatefee, estimatesmartfee, estimatepriority (all answer -1 on testnet).
• Peers and logs: disconnectnode, setban, getpeerscores, getlogconfig, setlogconfig.
• signrawtransactionwithwallet and getlitewalletinfo, which the IronDivi web wallet uses.

6Where the answers differ

For commands both nodes have, the fields are nearly always the same. IronDivi keeps a running parity audit that calls every command on both nodes and compares the shape of the answers; at its last run on the main branch, 61 commands matched exactly, 11 could not be compared, and 23 differed, mostly by extra fields that IronDivi adds. In release 0.2.5 you will notice these:

• Formatting. The C++ node indents by four spaces and writes "key" : value; IronDivi indents by two, writes "key": value, and sorts the keys alphabetically. Read answers by field name, never by line number.
• getblock. The C++ answer has two extra fields, moneysupply (the total coins in existence after that block) and acc_checkpoint. IronDivi 0.2.5 leaves them out; main already adds them.
• getpeerinfo. The C++ node adds banscore, inflight, whitelisted and addrlocal. IronDivi 0.2.5 reports its byte and time counters per peer as 0.
• getstakingstatus. The C++ node answers "staking status": false and adds "stake split threshold"; IronDivi answers with a text, "Staking Disabled" or "Staking Active".
• Addresses in decoded transactions. On testnet, the C++ node writes them as y…; IronDivi 0.2.5 writes the mainnet form D… for the same key. Compare the hex of the output script if you need to match them. Fixed on main.
• Errors. Leave out an argument and the C++ node answers code -1 with the command's whole help text; IronDivi answers -32602 and one line, such as Missing height parameter. A hash that does not exist is -5 Block not found on the C++ node and -32602 Invalid hash on IronDivi. Both say -32601 for an unknown command.
• Version numbers. getinfo says "version": "3.0.0.0" on the C++ node and the number 2000000 on IronDivi, which is not its version. Use subversion from getnetworkinfo to tell them apart.
• Protocol. IronDivi speaks protocol 70920, the C++ node 70915. They understand each other.

7Memory, disk and sync time

Both nodes, same machine, same afternoon, both at the testnet tip with a transaction index, after about five hours running:

IronDivi's folder was 946 MB of chain data plus a 131 MB log; the C++ node's was 415 MB of blocks, 37 MB of chain state and a log it keeps short. IronDivi's log is far chattier than the C++ node's at its default level, so give it room or lower it with setlogconfig.

Sync time from nothing to the tip, on the same machine the same afternoon: the C++ node took about 20 minutes and IronDivi 62 minutes. Both found a fast node on the local network as well as the internet, so this measures the programs more than the connection; on the open internet both will be slower, and an hour or two is normal for either. Testnet had 360,000 blocks at the time; mainnet has many more and takes proportionally longer.

8Which one to run

• Run IronDivi for a new node on Linux or a Mac, especially one you talk to from scripts or use for address lookups: it starts in seconds, has the more complete command set, and is where the work is happening. Keep an eye on the gaps above until the next release: no wallet passphrase, and the mainnet-form addresses in decoded transactions.
• Run the C++ node on Windows, where IronDivi has no build; on a machine short of memory; or when you need the exact behaviour Divi Desktop has, since Desktop ships the C++ node.
• Run both if you want to check one against the other, on different command ports. Each needs its own port and rpcport, and they can peer with each other through addnode on 127.0.0.1.

Whichever you choose, the settings that matter are in Config files explained, and Run a node as a service keeps either one running after a reboot.

If something goes wrong

Still stuck? Ask the Divi chatbot, or see all tutorials.