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Textual alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll team chat apps

Top picks

  • Element logo

    Best overall

    Element

    Open source

  • Discord logo

    Best free option

    Discord

    Starting price: $2.99 a month (Nitro Basic)

  • Halloy logo

    Best open source

    Halloy

    Open source

Common reasons people leave Textual: macOS only, with no Windows, Linux or phone apps, and not free after the 30-day trial, unlike most IRC clients. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Textual, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Element currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Element logoElementOpen source—YesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 463.2
2Discord logoDiscordFree plan + paid$2.99 a month (Nitro Basic)NoWeb, Windows, macOS +36 of 659.4
3Halloy logoHalloyOpen source—YesmacOS, Windows, Linux5 of 550.0
4Zulip logoZulipOpen source—YesWeb, Windows, macOS +42 of 349.9
5KVIrc logoKVIrcOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 449.0
  1. Element logo

    1. ElementTop pick

    Best for: Communities and organisations that want open, federated, encrypted chat they can run themselves

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    63.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Textual

    Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

    Pros

    • Federated: talk across servers, or host your own
    • Encrypted by default for private chats
    • Open source, with bridges to other networks

    Cons

    • More complex than mainstream messengers
    • Key backup and device verification confuse newcomers
    • Self-hosting a homeserver takes real admin work
    Visit Element Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.332
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Element a good Textual alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Free community edition
    Checked Nov 8, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise pricing
    Per seat/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Certification
    ISO/IEC 27001:2022
    Checked Nov 8, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Discord logo

    2. Discord

    Best for: Communities that want free voice and text chat

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Textual

    Where many communities that left IRC now gather, with voice, video and free cross-platform apps.

    Pros

    • Free with unlimited history
    • Excellent voice channels
    • Rich roles, bots and moderation

    Cons

    • Not built for enterprise compliance
    • Consumer-style interface for work
    Visit Discord Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Discord a good Textual alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Price
    Free; optional Nitro subscription
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Voice channels
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, desktop, mobile
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $2.99 a month (Nitro Basic)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Nitro plan
    $9.99 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Nitro Basic plan
    $2.99/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Halloy logo

    3. Halloy

    Best for: People who want a fast, modern graphical IRC client with strong IRCv3 support on any desktop

    Open sourcemacOS, Windows, Linux

    50.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Textual

    Free, open-source IRC client for macOS, Windows and Linux with a modern interface and IRCv3 support.

    Pros

    • Native app on macOS, Windows and Linux
    • Wide IRCv3 support, including chat history and read markers
    • Works with soju and ZNC bouncers
    • Free and open source

    Cons

    • Configuration is done by editing a TOML file
    • No scripting language like mIRC or WeeChat
    • No mobile app
    Visit Halloy Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Halloy a good Textual alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Platforms
    macOS, Windows, Linux
    Checked Nov 8, 2026halloy.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Built with
    Rust and iced
    Checked Nov 8, 2026halloy.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Configuration
    config.toml file
    Checked Nov 8, 2026halloy.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    IRCv3
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026halloy.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Zulip logo

    4. Zulip

    Best for: Distributed teams that work asynchronously across time zones

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    49.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Textual

    Open-source chat with topic-based threads, adopted by a number of projects that used to coordinate on IRC.

    Pros

    • Topic threads keep chat organized
    • Open source and self-hostable
    • Great for async work

    Cons

    • Topic model takes getting used to
    • Fewer third-party integrations
    Visit Zulip Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.349
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zulip a good Textual alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026zulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes
    Not checked yetzulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. KVIrc logo

    5. KVIrc

    Best for: People who want a free graphical IRC client with scripting on Windows, Mac or Linux

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    49.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Textual

    Free, open-source IRC client that runs on macOS as well as Windows and Linux, with scripting and themes.

    Pros

    • Graphical client on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Own scripting language and community addons
    • Free and open source

    Cons

    • Busy interface with a very large number of settings
    • Slow release pace with a small volunteer team
    • macOS builds are less polished than Windows and Linux ones
    Visit KVIrc Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.334
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is KVIrc a good Textual alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-2.0 (with exception)
    Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Toolkit
    Qt
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kvirc.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Latest release
    5.2.10 (Dec 2025)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kvirc.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Licence exception
    Extended GPL
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kvirc.net(opens source in a new tab)

The best Textual alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for most people

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

Halloy logo

Best Textual alternative for a free option

Halloy

Free, open-source IRC client for macOS, Windows and Linux with a modern interface and IRCv3 support.

Discord logo

Best Textual alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Discord

Where many communities that left IRC now gather, with voice, video and free cross-platform apps.

Zulip logo

Best Textual alternative for open source

Zulip

Open-source chat with topic-based threads, adopted by a number of projects that used to coordinate on IRC.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for self-hosting

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

KVIrc logo

Best Textual alternative for Mac

KVIrc

Free, open-source IRC client that runs on macOS as well as Windows and Linux, with scripting and themes.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for Windows

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for Linux

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for iPhone and Android

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

Element logo

Best Textual alternative for working in the browser

Element

Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels.

Textual alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Textual?

Element ranks first right now. Matrix client with open, federated rooms, where many open-source communities moved from IRC channels. Discord and Halloy follow it in our ranking.

Textual vs Element: what's the difference?

Textual is a paid product; Element is free and open source. Element is open source and Textual is not. Only Element runs on Web, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.

Is Textual free?

Textual is a paid product. Free trial: 30 days; Pricing: One-time purchase, no subscription. Checked on Textual's own site, November 2026.

Is there a free alternative to Textual?

Yes. Element (open source), Discord (free plan + paid), Halloy (open source) and Zulip (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Textual?

Yes: Element, Halloy, Zulip and KVIrc. Element and Zulip can also be self-hosted.

Which Textual alternatives work on Linux?

Element, Discord, Halloy, Zulip and KVIrc run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Textual?

The complaints we hear most: macOS only, with no Windows, Linux or phone apps; not free after the 30-day trial, unlike most IRC clients; does not stay connected when the Mac is off without a separate bouncer.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Textual, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.