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IRC

Awesome IRC Awesome

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.

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
  • IRC Vitamin - Simple, fast and easy access to multiple IRC networks. Android

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).
  • iOS App - Official. Objective-C
  • Android App - Official. Java
  • Nimbus - Standalone client. macOS Objective-C

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

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.

  • 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.

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

Channels

IRC channels.

Discovery

Platforms

  • #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

Use

The best ways to use this list are:

  • 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.