Quick comparison
| # | App | Pricing | Verified price | Open source | Platforms | Verified facts | Score |
|---|
| 1 |  Element | Open source | — | Yes | Web, Windows, macOS +4 | 4 of 4 | 63.2 |
| 2 |  Halloy | Open source | — | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux | 5 of 5 | 50.0 |
| 3 |  Zulip | Open source | — | Yes | Web, Windows, macOS +4 | 2 of 3 | 49.9 |
| 4 |  KVIrc | Open source | — | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4 of 4 | 49.0 |
1Best for: Communities and organisations that want open, federated, encrypted chat they can run themselves
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted
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
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
2Best for: People who want a fast, modern graphical IRC client with strong IRCv3 support on any desktop
Open sourcemacOS, Windows, Linux
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
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
3Best for: Distributed teams that work asynchronously across time zones
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted
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
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
Verified facts
2 of 3 verified
4Best for: People who want a free graphical IRC client with scripting on Windows, Mac or Linux
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
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
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