Awesome IRC 
A curated list of awesome IRC
resources.
A list of tools, software & other resources related to the
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is an open source protocol that can be used
for multi-user text based communication through channels.
Contents
Clients
You use these to connect to IRC.
- Textual - Very
customizable, ZNC integration, iCloud sync ($4.99). (source)
macOS
- LimeChat - One window for
multiple servers, keyboard shortcuts, fast & stable. (source)
macOS
iOS
- HexChat - Based on XChat,
easy to use, spell check & multiple languages. (source)
Windows macOS Linux
- gamja - A simple IRC
web client. (source)
Web
- Kiwi IRC - Powerful modern IRC
messenger for the web. (source, demo)
Web
- CIRC - Uses the
chrome.sockets APIs to connect directly to IRC servers without needing a
proxy. (source)
Chrome
- Quassel - Distributed (clients
can attach to and detach from a central core that stays permanently
online. (source)
Linux macOS Windows
- Yaaic - Multi-server/channel
support, SASL support, Smooth channel scrolling / swiping. (source)
Android
- relay.js -
Focuses on making IRC less intimidating and easier to use.
Web
- Circe - For use
in Emacs, sane defaults.
Emacs
- Smuxi - User-friendly, based on GNOME
/ GTK+. (source)
Linux Windows macOS
- KvIRC - Free, portable, based on
Qt GUI toolkit. (source)
Linux macOS Windows
- Konversation -
User-friendly client built on the KDE Platform. (source)
Linux
- sic -
Simple IRC client - a
terminal client in less than 250 lines of C.
Linux
- irssi - Terminal client,
multi-protocol friendly for module authors, GPLv2.
Linux
macOS Cygwin BSD
- Revolution
IRC - Feature-full, actively maintained Android IRC client.
Android
- AdiIRC - Never has a client offered
such granular settings for every aspect of the IRC experience. (features,
screenshots)
Windows WINE
- IRC for
Android™ - Android/Chrome OS client for power users, with ZNC
built-ins, notification logic, reliable DCC, keybinds for hardware
keyboards, etc.
Android ChromeOS
- Iridium
- Friendly IRC client built in Vala and GTK, designed for elementary OS.
(source)
Linux
- Goguma - An IRC client
for mobile devices, from the creator of soju.
Android
Linux
More? Clients that include bouncers are found below.
Bouncers
Useful for disconnecting and reconnecting without losing the chat
session.
Hosted
- IRCCloud - Group chat for
teams, friends, and communities. stay connected, chat from anywhere, and
never miss a message (+client) (£0-£3.50/month).
Self-hosted
- Convos - Always online web IRC
client. (source)
Perl JavaScript Web
- ZNC - Most popular. many
different plugins. (source)
C++
- BIP IRC Proxy - Always
online, lightweight and secure Open Source IRC proxying with
backlogging. (source)
C
- TheLounge - Responsive,
self-hosted & support for multiple users. (source, demo)
JavaScript
Node.js Web
- WeeChat - A fast, light and
extensible chat client. (source)
Linux
macOS Windows
- soju - A
user-friendly IRC bouncer.
Go
- sms-webhook -
A simple webhook to receive SMS messages on IRC.
Go
Daemons
Used for running your own IRC server or network.
- ircd.js - Server
will allow clients to connect, join channels, change topics; basic
stuff.
- InspIRCd - Modular, stable,
written from scratch. (source)
- miniircd - Very
simple and limited.
- ngIRCd - Portable and
lightweight for small or private networks. (source)
- Ergo - Modern server
that’s portable and designed around specifications (bleeding-edge IRCv3
support).
- RobustIRC - IRC server without
netsplits. (source)
Services
Used to provide user accounts and bots like NickServ/ChanServ to
your network.
- Atheme - Designed for large
networks with high scalability requirements. (source)
- anope - Designed for flexibility
and ease of use. (source)
Bots
IRC users which provide services for humans, e.g. integrations or
information.
- Eggdrop - Oldest IRC bot
still in active development. Feature rich, uses Tcl scripting. (source)
C
- Sopel - Tonnes of ready made
features, tutorial, fully documented. (source)
Python
- Limnoria - Robust,
user friendly, developer friendly.
Python
- Twitch Plays
- Takes input from the chat and presses the corresponding key.
Python
- Skybot - Main goals are
simplicity and power.
Python
- talkbackbot -
Responds to configured trigger phrases with quotes from notable women.
(source)
Python
- lazybot -
User-friendly and powerful.
Clojure
- IRC-BF -
Brainfuck
- geordi - Compiles and
runs C++ code snippets.
C++
- CloudBot
- Simple, fast, expandable.
Python
- yossarian-bot -
Large default plugin set, Cinch-based.
Ruby
- helga - Pluggable
chat bot supporting multiple protocols.
Python
- EveIRC
- Extendable chat/channel/server-managenent service-providing bot. Using
the Cinch Framework.
Ruby
- BitBot - Modular,
event-driven bot featuring a REST API, individual user settings and much
more. (bitbot.dev)
Python
- Cardinal -
Python Twisted IRC bot with a focus on ease of plugin development.
Python
- pyHoneybot -
Python Twisted IRC bot with a focus on ease of plugin development. (source)
Python
- wayback - An
archiving tool with an IRC interface integrated with various archiving
services.
- milla - New
generation LLM-powered bot with lua scripting support.
Go
Frameworks
Helpful to write bots or integrate IRC with
applications.
- node-irc
JavaScript
- goirc - Event-based,
stateful, lacking documentation.
Go
- Hubot IRC Adapter
- The IRC adapter for hubot.
JavaScript
- go-ircevent -
Event-based.
Go
- slate-irc - Plugin
system, simple api, arbitrary input stream, debug support.
JavaScript
- PircBotX - Event
based IRC Library with a straightforward API (updated fork of PircBot).
Java
- IRC::Client -
Perl6 based extendable IRC client framework.
- irccd -
Flexible IRC bot customizable with JavaScript.
C++.
Bridges
Sends messages back and forth.
- discord-irc
- Discord ↔︎ IRC.
JavaScript
- dibridge - Discord
↔︎ IRC (with puppets)
Python
- slack-irc -
Slack ↔︎ IRC.
JavaScript
- irc-slack -
Slack ↔︎ IRC.
Go
- BitlBee -
XMPP, Jabber, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, ICQ,
Twitter API, HipChat ↔︎ IRC.
C
- Biboumi - IRC gateway for
XMPP clients
C
- teleirc - Telegram ↔︎
IRC.
JavaScript
- toxirc - Tox ↔︎ IRC.
C
- skyweb2irc -
Skype (webclient API) ↔︎ IRC.
Javascript
- matterbridge -
IRC ↔︎ Mattermost ↔︎ Discord ↔︎ XMPP ↔︎ Gitter ↔︎ Slack ↔︎ Discord ↔︎ Telegram
↔︎ etc.
Go
- Heisenbridge -
Bouncer-style Matrix IRC bridge
Python
- Appservice-IRC
- Gateway and bridge Matrix ↔︎ IRC
Javascript
- matterircd -
Matterbridge ↔︎ IRC, Slack ↔︎ IRC, Mastodon ↔︎ IRC.
Go
Channels
IRC channels.
Discovery
- #ubuntu@Libera.Chat - Official
Ubuntu support channel. (rules)
Networks
A collection of IRC servers is known as a network.
- Libera.Chat - Network mostly
focused on free and open source projects, run by former freenode
staff.
- Snoonet - Community of redditors
and subreddits. (rules)
- OFTC - Community for free and open
source software communities.
- LibertaCasa - Privacy endorsing
community serving as a safe and open space for the discussion of various
topics.
Articles
Articles and blog posts about IRC.
Guides
How-to’s, documentation and books.
- #irchelp - A vast amount of
reasonably up-to-date information.
Protocol
Information and resources about the IRC protocol itself.
Miscellaneous
Items that belong on the list but defy classification.
- superseriousstats
- Fast and efficient program to create statistics out of various types
of chat logs.
PHP Web
- img2src - Convert
images to halfblock ANSI or IRC, with a bunch of post-processing
filters.
Rust
Use
The best ways to use this list are:
- By browsing the contents
- By using command + F to search the
contents
This list also uses tags to help when searching the contents: -
Language - Python, Java,
C++, Go, JavaScript,
Ruby, C etc. - Platform -
Web, macOS, Windows,
Linux, Chrome etc.
Credits
By Craig Davison and
contributors.
irc.md
Github