IRC clients that work with a bouncer
To your client, a bouncer is an IRC server like any other. Any client that lets you set the server, port, TLS and a password (or SASL) can connect to one.
This list says which ones are still maintained, which systems they run on and when the latest release came out.
What you will enter in the client
- Server
- the bouncer’s address
- Port
- usually 6697, with TLS on
- Username and password
- the bouncer’s, as the server password or via SASL
Connecting IRC clients to IRCBouncer is in preparation. For now you use IRCBouncer in the browser or installed as an app; this page is a guide for when it is ready, and for any other bouncer.
Actively maintained 22
| Client | Win | Mac | Linux | Android | iOS | Web | Licence | Latest release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| catgirl terminal | no | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 2.2a · 2024 | Terminal client, TLS only. |
| ERC (Emacs) terminal | Windows | macOS | Linux | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | Emacs 31.1 · 2026-08 | Ships with Emacs. |
| gamja | no | no | no | no | no | Web | AGPL-3.0 | 1.0.0-beta.9 · 2024 | Connects over WebSocket: needs a bouncer such as soju, or a proxy. |
| Goguma | no | no | no | Android | iOS / iPadOS | no | AGPL-3.0 | 0.9.1 / iOS 1.6 · 2026-01 | Built with bouncers in mind (soju). |
| Halloy | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 2026.9 · 2026-10 | Modern, with IRCv3; works well with soju and ZNC. |
| Igloo | no | no | no | no | iOS / iPadOS | no | Proprietary | 3.12.1 · 2026-10 | iPhone and iPad; notifications through soju or ZNC. |
| IRCCloud | no | no | no | Android | iOS / iPadOS | Web | Proprietary | iOS 4.33 · 2026-05 | Is itself a hosted bouncer; the free plan limits connections. |
| Irssi terminal | no | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 1.4.5 · 2023-10 | No release since 2023, but still worked on; on Windows through WSL. |
| Kiwi IRC | no | no | no | no | no | Web | Apache-2.0 | 1.7.1 · 2023-09 | In the browser it needs a WebSocket gateway to reach the bouncer. |
| Konversation | Windows | no | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 26.08.2 · 2026-10 | Released with KDE Gear. |
| KVIrc | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 5.2.10 · 2025-12 | |
| mIRC | Windows | no | no | no | no | no | Proprietary | 7.86 · 2026-10 | Shareware with a 30-day trial; Windows only. |
| Pidgin | Windows | no | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 2.14.14 · 2025-01 | Multi-protocol messenger; Pidgin 3 is in development. |
| Polari | no | no | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 50.0 · 2026-05 | GNOME’s IRC client. |
| Quassel IRC | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 0.14.0 · 2022-01 | Has its own core, which is already a bouncer; no release since 2022, but still worked on. |
| rcirc (Emacs) terminal | Windows | macOS | Linux | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | Emacs 31.1 · 2026-08 | Ships with Emacs. |
| senpai terminal | no | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | ISC | 0.5.0 · 2026-06 | Built for the soju bouncer. |
| Srain | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 1.8.1 · 2025-06 | |
| Textual | no | macOS | no | no | no | no | BSD-3-Clause | 7.2.8 · 2026-10 | Open source; paid builds with a 30-day trial. |
| The Lounge | no | no | no | no | no | Web | MIT | 4.5.2 · 2026-07 | Self-hosted; is itself a bouncer with a web client. |
| Thunderbird | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | MPL-2.0 | 159.0 · 2026-10 | IRC in its built-in chat. |
| WeeChat terminal | no | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 4.10.2 · 2026-10 | On Windows through WSL. |
Maintained, with few changes 4
| Client | Win | Mac | Linux | Android | iOS | Web | Licence | Latest release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdiIRC | Windows | no | no | no | no | no | Freeware | 4.4 · 2023-08 | Windows only; Linux and macOS only through Wine, unsupported. |
| IRC for Android | no | no | no | Android | no | no | Proprietary | 2022-04 | Still on Google Play. |
| Revolution IRC | no | no | no | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 0.5.5 · 2023-04 | On F-Droid; not on Google Play. |
| Smuxi | Windows | macOS | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 1.2.1 · 2023-04 |
Stalled or discontinued 14
| Client | Win | Mac | Linux | Android | iOS | Web | Licence | Latest release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adium | no | macOS | no | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 1.5.10.4 · 2017 | Multi-protocol messenger for macOS. |
| AndroIRC | no | no | no | Android | no | no | Proprietary | — | Removed from Google Play; the website is gone. |
| Atomic | no | no | no | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 1.14 · 2014-04 | Repository archived; not on F-Droid. |
| Colloquy | no | macOS | no | no | iOS / iPadOS | no | GPL-2.0 | iOS 1.9.2 · 2018 | The iOS app is still on the App Store; the website is a placeholder. |
| HexChat | Windows | no | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 2.16.2 · 2024-02 | Development ended in 2024; still works. |
| IceChat | Windows | no | no | no | no | no | Freeware | 9.54 · 2023-06 | The website says 9.54 is the last version. |
| ircEX | no | no | no | no | iOS / iPadOS | no | Proprietary | 2021-06 | No longer on the App Store. |
| LimeChat | no | macOS | no | no | iOS / iPadOS | no | GPL-2.0 | 2.47 · 2020-06 | Still in Apple’s stores; the old website no longer responds. |
| Mibbit | no | no | no | no | no | Web | Proprietary | — | Announced its shutdown and recommends Kiwi IRC; it couldn’t connect to bouncers. |
| SimpleIRC | no | no | no | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 1.9 · 2017 | Only in F-Droid’s archive. |
| TurboIRC | no | no | no | no | iOS / iPadOS | no | Freeware | 3.15 · 2015-06 | Still on the App Store. |
| WinIRC | Windows | no | no | no | no | no | MIT | 1.7.3 · 2020-01 | |
| XChat | Windows | no | Linux | no | no | no | GPL-2.0 | 2.8.8 · 2010 | Stalled since 2010; its successor HexChat has also ended. |
| Yaaic | no | no | no | Android | no | no | GPL-3.0 | 1.1 · 2015-09 | No longer on Google Play or F-Droid. |
Checked on 31 October 2026, on each client’s website, repository or store page.