📱 Best IRC Clients for Every Platform in 2025

Finding the right IRC client can greatly enhance your chat experience. Whether you're on desktop or mobile, here's our comprehensive guide to the best IRC clients available for macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, and iOS.

📑 Table of Contents

• 🖥️ Cross-Platform Clients
  • 💬 WeeChat
  • 🎯 HexChat
  • 🔄 Quassel
  • 🦀 Halloy
• 🪟 Windows
  • 🎮 mIRC
  • ❄️ IceChat
• 🍎 macOS
  • 📝 Textual
  • 🍋 LimeChat
• 🐧 Linux
  • 💻 Irssi
  • 🔷 Konversation
• 📱 Android
  • ☁️ IRCCloud
  • 🥔 Goguma IRC Client
  • 🔐 CoreIRC
  • 🤖 Quasseldroid
• 🍏 iOS
  • 💎 Palaver
  • ☁️ IRCCloud (iOS)
• 🎯 Quick Comparison Table
• 💡 Choosing the Right Client
• 🔗 Additional Resources
• 📊 Platform Summary

🖥️ Cross-Platform Clients

💬 WeeChat

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

A fast, lightweight, and extensible terminal-based IRC client that's perfect for power users. WeeChat is highly customizable and supports 8 scripting languages including Python, Perl, Ruby, Lua, Tcl, Scheme, JavaScript, and PHP.

Features:

• 🎨 Fully customizable interface
• 🔌 Multi-server support
• 🤖 Smart filtering and notification system
• 📜 Extensive plugin ecosystem
• 🌐 Remote interface capability

Download: https://weechat.org

🎯 HexChat

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Based on XChat, HexChat is a free and open-source client with a clean, tabbed interface. It's one of the most popular IRC clients for Windows and offers excellent multi-server support.

Features:

• 🆓 Completely free (unlike XChat)
• 📑 Multi-channel tabbed interface
• 🔒 SSL/TLS support
• 🎯 Spell checking
• 📝 Logging capabilities

Download: https://hexchat.github.io

🔄 Quassel

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android

A modern, distributed IRC client with a unique architecture. Features a "core" component that stays permanently online and "client" applications that connect to this core.

Features:

• ☁️ Bouncer-like functionality built-in
• 💬 Synced chat history across devices
• 🎨 Modern Qt-based interface
• 📱 Mobile client support (Quasseldroid)

Download: https://quassel-irc.org

🦀 Halloy

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

A modern, open-source IRC client written in Rust with the Iced GUI library. Simple, fast, and efficient.

Features:

• 🦀 Built with Rust for performance
• 🎨 Clean, modern interface
• ⚡ Fast and lightweight
• 🔓 Fully open source

Download: https://halloy.squidowl.org

🪟 Windows

🎮 mIRC

Platform: Windows

The classic IRC client that defined IRC on Windows for decades. While it's shareware ($20 after trial), it remains one of the most feature-rich and stable clients available.

Features:

• 👴 Time-tested and reliable
• 🎨 Highly customizable with scripts
• 📁 Built-in file transfer (DCC)
• 🎵 Media player integration
• 🔧 Extensive scripting language

Download: https://www.mirc.com Price: $20 (30-day free trial)

❄️ IceChat

Platform: Windows

A stable, free IRC client with full Windows 10/11 64-bit support and a traditional tabbed interface.

Features:

• 🆓 Completely free
• 💻 Native 64-bit support
• 📑 Multi-server support
• 🎨 Customizable themes

Download: https://www.icechat.net

🍎 macOS

📝 Textual

Platform: macOS

A beautifully designed IRC client that embraces macOS design principles. Highly customizable with CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and supports plugins.

Features:

• 🎨 Native macOS design
• 🔔 Notification Center integration
• 📱 Retina display optimized
• 🎭 Customizable with CSS/HTML/JS
• 🔌 Plugin support (Objective-C & Swift)

Download: https://www.codeux.com/textual Note: No longer in Mac App Store; available via direct download

🍋 LimeChat

Platform: macOS

An elegant, lightweight IRC client designed specifically for macOS with a focus on simplicity and functionality.

Features:

• 🍋 Clean, minimal interface
• 🆓 Free and open source
• ⚡ Fast and lightweight
• 🎨 macOS-native design

Download: http://limechat.net/mac

🐧 Linux

💻 Irssi

Platform: Linux (also macOS, BSD)

The legendary terminal-based IRC client beloved by system administrators and power users. Extremely lightweight and scriptable.

Features:

• 💻 Terminal-based interface
• 🪶 Minimal resource usage
• 🔧 Highly scriptable (Perl)
• 📜 Excellent logging
• 🎯 Perfect for tmux/screen sessions

Download: https://irssi.org

🔷 Konversation

Platform: Linux (KDE)

The most user-friendly IRC client for KDE desktop environments with excellent integration.

Features:

• 🎨 Beautiful KDE integration
• 🖱️ User-friendly GUI
• 🔔 Desktop notifications
• 📝 Automatic logging
• 🌐 Multi-language support

Download: Available in most Linux distribution repositories

📱 Android

☁️ IRCCloud

Platform: Android, iOS, Web

A cloud-based IRC client that keeps you connected 24/7. Your connections run on IRCCloud's servers, syncing chat history across all devices.

Features:

• ☁️ Always-connected (bouncer included)
• 🔔 Push notifications
• 💬 Full chat history sync
• 🌐 Web, iOS, and Android apps
• 📱 Modern mobile interface

Download: Google Play Store Price: Free tier available, premium features require subscription

🥔 Goguma IRC Client

Platform: Android, Linux

A modern, lightweight, and easy-to-use IRC client optimized for mobile devices. Created by the developer of soju.

Features:

• 🎨 Modern Material Design
• 🪶 Lightweight and fast
• 🔓 Open source
• 📱 Mobile-optimized interface
• 📶 Standard IRC protocol only

Download: Google Play Store Updated: September 2025

🔐 CoreIRC

Platform: Android

A secure IRC client with Material Design featuring IRCv3 support and modern authentication methods.

Features:

• 🔒 SSL/TLS support
• 🎨 Material Design UI
• 🔐 SASL & NickServ authentication
• 📱 IRCv3 compatible
• 🆓 Free version available (CoreIRC Go)

Download: Google Play Store

🤖 Quasseldroid

Platform: Android

The Android companion app for Quassel IRC. Requires a Quassel core to connect to.

Features:

• 🎨 Beautiful Material Design
• 👤 Profile picture support
• 🆓 Completely free and open source
• 🔄 Syncs with Quassel core

Download: Google Play Store Note: Requires Quassel core setup

🍏 iOS

💎 Palaver

Platform: iOS (iPhone, iPad)

The premier IRC client for iOS with a beautiful native interface and excellent feature set. Perfect for iPhone and iPad users.

Features:

• 🎨 Modern iOS design
• 🔔 Push notifications via ZNC
• 🔐 Complete SASL support
• ☁️ iCloud preference sync
• 🎭 Multiple themes available
• 📱 IRCv3 support

Download: App Store Website: https://palaverapp.com

☁️ IRCCloud (iOS)

Platform: iOS, Android, Web

The same great cloud-based IRC experience available on iOS.

Features:

• ☁️ Always-connected via cloud
• 🔔 Push notifications
• 💬 Synced chat history
• 📱 Native iOS interface

Download: App Store Price: Free tier available, premium subscription for unlimited connections

🎯 Quick Comparison Table

💡 Choosing the Right Client

For Beginners:

• Windows: HexChat or IceChat
• macOS: LimeChat
• Linux: Konversation or HexChat
• Mobile: IRCCloud or Goguma

For Power Users:

• Desktop: WeeChat or Irssi
• Mobile: IRCCloud (with bouncer)

For 24/7 Connection:

• IRCCloud (built-in bouncer)
• Quassel (self-hosted core)
• Any client + ZNC bouncer

For Mobile-First:

• Android: Goguma or CoreIRC
• iOS: Palaver

🔗 Additional Resources

• Libera Chat Client Guide: https://libera.chat/guides/clients
• IRCHelp.org: https://www.irchelp.org/clients
• Awesome IRC: https://github.com/davisonio/awesome-irc

📊 Platform Summary

Last updated: December 2025

Need help getting started with IRC? Check out our beginner's guide or join us on IRCDBase to explore IRC networks and connect with communities worldwide!