A curated list of awesome IRC resources

Contents · Use · Authors · License & Credits

This is a list of tools, software & other resources related to the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol.

"IRC: The one protocol that you can never resist" - Firrre

• Clients
• Bouncers
  • Self-hosted
  • Hosted
• Daemons
• Services
• Bots
• Frameworks
  • Bridges
• Channels
  • Discovery
  • Platforms
  • Programming
• Networks
• Articles
• Guides
• Protocol
• Miscellaneous

You use these to connect to IRC.

• Komanda - designed for people who write code (beta) (source) Linux
• Textual - very customizable, ZNC integration, iCloud sync ($4.99) (source) macOS
• LimeChat - one window for multiple servers, keyboard shortcuts, fast & stable (source) macOS
• HexChat - based on XChat, easy to use, spell check & multiple languages (source) Windows macOS Linux
• Kiwi IRC - a 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
• nirc - simple (demo) Web
• 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
• koko - minimalistic design, VIM-like shortcuts and built on electron Windows macOS
• relay.js - focuses on making IRC less intimidating and easier to use (demo) Web
• Circe - for use in Emacs, sane defaults Emacs
• Smuxi - user-friendly, based on GNOME / GTK+ (source) Linux Windows macOS
• aIRChat - beautiful, modernized, browser-based Web
• 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

More? Clients that include bouncers are found below.

Useful for disconnecting and reconnecting without losing the chat session.

• 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
• Grove - hosted IRC and so much more (+client) ($10-$125/month)
• Firrre - authorized connections to Free / Libre / Open Source driven IRC Networks (Free)

• Convos - Always online web IRC client (source, demo) Perl JavaScript Web
• ZNC - most popular. many different plugins (source)
• IRCAnywhere - built for teams and gives control + privacy to you (alpha) (source)
• TapChat - modern IRC (source)
  • Android App - source only Java
• TheLounge - responsive, self-hosted & support for multiple users (source, demo) JavaScript Node.js Web

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)
• Hulk - intended for private business use or hobby work Haskell
• Oragono - modern, experimental server that's portable and designed around specifications (source)
• charybdis - scalable IRCv3 server

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)

IRC users which provide services for humans, e.g. integrations or information.

• BotBot.me - makes IRC logs awesome (source)
  • Web interface - (demo)
• Sopel - tonnes of ready made features, tutorial, fully documented (source) Python
• phenny - simple, module creation guide (source) Python
• IRCcat - simplifies messaging from shell scripts Java
• 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
• Jenni - 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

Helpful to write bots or integrate IRC with applications.

• node-irc JavaScript
• Cinch - quickly create bots with minimal effort Ruby
• goirc - event-based, stateful, lacking documentation Go
• Hubot IRC Adapter - the IRC adapter for hubot JavaScript
• go-ircevent - event-based Go
• pyaib - easy to use framework for writing bots Python
• slate-irc - plugin system, simple api, arbitrary input stream, debug support JavaScript
• Jerk - ridiculously simple to set-up and get going JavaScript

Sends messages back and forth.

• slack-irc - Slack <-> IRC JavaScript
• CamperVan - Campfire <-> IRC Ruby
• BitlBee - XMPP, Jabber, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Twitter API, HipChat <-> IRC C
• teleirc - Telegram <-> IRC JavaScript
• toxirc - Tox <-> IRC C

IRC channels.

• irc.netsplit.de Search - searches 563 different networks
• mibbit Search - searches networks listed here
• KiwiIRC Search - searches 318 different networks

• ##linux@freenode - Linux support and discussion channel (rules)
• #ubuntu@freenode - official ubuntu support channel (rules)

• #python@freenode - good place for short python questions (rules)

A collection of IRC servers is known as a network.

• freenode - the largest network, for free and open source software communities (rules)
• Snoonet - community of redditors and subreddits (rules)
• OFTC - commnuity for free and open source software communities

Articles and blog posts about IRC.

• Please don't use Slack for FOSS projects - Drew DeVault's Blog
• IRC Networks Under Systematic Attack From Governments - QuakeNet
• IRC is dead, long live IRC - Royal Pingdom
• IRC Has Lost 60% Of Its Users Since 2003, But Life As A Robot Is Just Beginning - Alex Williams (TechCrunch)

How-to's, documentation and books.

• #irchelp - a vast amount of reasonably up-to-date information
• How to Setup a Secure Private IRC Channel
• BotBot's IRC Cheat Sheet - well-designed and with many well-answered questions

Information and resources about the IRC protocol itself.

• IRCv3 Working Group - a group of IRC software authors working to enhance, improve, maintain and standardize the IRC protocol (source)
• Modern IRC Documents - an attempt to write an update to the original IRC protocol documentation (source)
• IRC Definition Files - lists of numerics, modes, ISUPPORT tokens and other protocol details (source)
• grawity's IRC docs - collection of misc IRC protocol documentation
• Protocol Statistics - statistics around the server software in use on networks today (source)
• IRC Parser Tests - a CC0 set of test suites, to ensure IRC message parsers are consistent

Items which don't fit into the other categories

• IRC LC - create a URL that points to a channel on a IRC network

The best ways to use this list are:

• by browing 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.

Craig Davison

With many thanks to the contributors. 👏

Contributions are welcome! Check out the Contributing Guidelines. 🙌

Unless otherwise stated:

• Copyright © 2016+ Craig Davison. Released under the CC0 1.0 License.