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

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

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

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.

• 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 - Pingdom.
• IRC Has Lost 60% Of Its Users Since 2003, But Life As A Robot Is Just Beginning - Alex Williams (TechCrunch).

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.

• 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.
• DareNET Archives - IRC Archives for old hard to find IRC related software.

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 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.