irctoday icon indicating copy to clipboard operation
irctoday copied to clipboard

Most popular IRC related projects on GitHub.

IRC Today

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a free and open client-server communications protocol for anyone to use and build software upon. Originally created in 1988, it still is actively used and developed by the community as of today.

This document contains a non-exhaustive list of the most popular IRC related projects, grouped by prominent category, for which the source is hosted on GitHub. Projects which main focus is not IRC, or which have been inactive for a very long time, are excluded from the list. So are frameworks, libraries, themes and plugins for other software.


Clients

Software used to connect to an IRC network. To help distinguish between projects the targeted platform is indicated, such as desktop or mobile.

Stars Repository Language Homepage Latest Commit Platforms
5,390 thelounge/thelounge TypeScript click 2024-04 Browser
2,824 weechat/weechat C click 2024-04 Terminal
2,798 irssi/irssi C click 2024-04 Terminal
1,844 Codeux-Software/Textual Objective-C click 2023-09 Desktop
1,005 convos-chat/convos Perl click 2024-03 Browser
989 squidowl/halloy Rust n/a 2024-04 Desktop
965 osa1/tiny Rust n/a 2024-04 Terminal
937 glowing-bear/glowing-bear JavaScript click 2024-02 Browser
830 kiwiirc/kiwiirc Vue click 2024-01 Browser
714 quassel/quassel C++ click 2023-09 Desktop
531 MCMrARM/revolution-irc Java n/a 2023-04 Android
516 mcpcpc/kirc C click 2024-01 Terminal
386 emacs-circe/circe Emacs Lisp n/a 2024-04
292 SrainApp/srain C click 2024-04 Desktop
284 irccloud/android Java n/a 2024-02 Android
274 irccloud/ios Objective-C n/a 2024-03 iOS
224 kvirc/KVIrc C++ click 2024-04 Desktop
193 codyd51/uefirc Rust click 2024-04
169 meebey/smuxi C# click 2024-04 Desktop
165 qwebirc/qwebirc JavaScript click 2023-08 Browser
153 glguy/irc-core Haskell n/a 2024-04 Terminal
136 rcr/rirc C click 2023-06 Terminal
84 icechat/IceChat C# n/a 2023-07 Desktop
72 LithApp/Lith C++ click 2024-04 iOS
62 justjanne/QuasselDroid-ng Kotlin click 2023-09 Android
55 communi/communi-desktop C++ click 2022-08 Desktop
55 rymate1234/WinIRC C# click 2022-05 Desktop
53 dgl/cgiirc Perl click 2023-06 Browser
52 avojak/iridium Vala n/a 2022-06 Desktop
48 KDE/konversation C++ click 2024-04 Desktop
36 communi/communi-sailfish C++ n/a 2022-07
33 nmeum/hii Go n/a 2024-02 Terminal
32 HydraIRC/hydrairc C++ n/a 2023-08 Desktop
29 Libera-Chat/gamja JavaScript n/a 2023-08 Browser
24 uhlin/swirc C click 2024-04 Terminal
24 robur-coop/catty OCaml n/a 2023-09 Terminal
23 mhoran/weechatRN TypeScript n/a 2024-04 iOS
19 oelna/websocket-irc JavaScript click 2023-04 Browser
19 ec429/quIRC C click 2023-02 Terminal

Servers

IRC servers (daemons) are central points in an IRC network for clients to connect to. Features beyond basic functionality can differ greatly between projects. Real-world usage statistics can be found here.

Stars Repository Language Homepage Latest Commit
2,147 ergochat/ergo Go click 2024-04
1,123 inspircd/inspircd C++ click 2024-04
421 ngircd/ngircd C click 2024-04
416 jrosdahl/miniircd Python n/a 2024-01
399 unrealircd/unrealircd C click 2024-04
213 solanum-ircd/solanum C click 2024-04
179 ircd-hybrid/ircd-hybrid C click 2024-04
173 robustirc/robustirc Go click 2024-01
52 DALnet/bahamut C click 2023-12
48 UndernetIRC/ircu2 C n/a 2024-03
19 provisionircd/ProvisionIRCd Python n/a 2024-01

Bouncers

A bouncer is a piece of software that sits between a client and a server. Its purpose is to stay up and running 24/7, keeping the connection to the server alive as to not miss any chatter or events while the client may disconnect periodically. This software is not always necessary or even desired.

Stars Repository Language Homepage Latest Commit
1,985 znc/znc C++ click 2024-04
123 emersion/soju Go click 2024-03
49 gunnarbeutner/shroudbnc Inno Setup n/a 2022-10
28 freenode/jbnc JavaScript n/a 2024-04

Bots

Automated client software that can perform tasks in a channel such as moderation or providing information.

Stars Repository Language Homepage Latest Commit
950 sopel-irc/sopel Python click 2024-04
612 progval/Limnoria Python click 2023-11
482 eggheads/eggdrop C n/a 2024-04
342 ArchiveTeam/ArchiveBot Python click 2023-12
342 yetibot/yetibot Clojure click 2024-02
272 CloudBotIRC/CloudBot Python n/a 2023-12
245 rmmh/skybot Python click 2024-01
183 Eelis/geordi Haskell click 2022-10
163 lambdabot/lambdabot Haskell n/a 2024-04
136 whyrusleeping/hellabot Go n/a 2023-03
134 bitbot-irc/bitbot Python n/a 2023-05
101 johnmaguire/Cardinal Python n/a 2024-04
81 gdamjan/erlang-irc-bot Erlang click 2022-11
76 wraith/wraith C++ click 2024-03
74 pyhoneybot/honeybot Python click 2023-07
73 baines/insobot C n/a 2023-03
72 boreq/botnet Python n/a 2023-06
72 TotallyNotRobots/CloudBot Python n/a 2024-04
61 pragma-/pbot Perl n/a 2024-04
57 evanchooly/javabot Kotlin click 2024-04
55 Shirakumo/maiden Common Lisp click 2023-11
55 offby1/rudybot Racket n/a 2022-06
51 lepinkainen/pyfibot Python n/a 2022-12
51 sbp/saxo Python click 2023-08
37 StalkR/goircbot Go click 2024-02
36 molo1134/qrmbot Perl n/a 2024-04
32 knrd1/chatgpt Python n/a 2024-02
30 woodruffw/yossarian-bot Ruby n/a 2024-04
28 gehaxelt/python-rss2irc Python n/a 2022-05
27 funsocietyirc/MrNodeBot JavaScript n/a 2024-03
26 EnergyMech/energymech C click 2024-01
24 nuxeh/url-bot-rs Rust n/a 2022-08
23 brenns10/cbot C n/a 2024-04
21 rj1/chatgpt-irc Python n/a 2023-03
20 sourcebunny/nisaba Go n/a 2024-04
19 RouxRC/gazouilleur Python n/a 2022-08
16 helpmebot/helpmebot C# click 2024-03
16 pkdindustries/soulshack Go n/a 2024-03

Other

Miscellaneous software and resources of interest.

Stars Repository Language Homepage Latest Commit Description
842 davisonio/awesome-irc n/a n/a 2023-05 A curated list of awesome IRC resources....
771 ircv3/ircv3-specifications n/a click 2024-04 IRCv3 specifications
586 bitlbee/bitlbee C click 2023-12 An IRC to other chat networks gateway :bee:...
265 whitequark/irclogger Ruby click 2023-12 Simple and good-looking IRC log viewer. Logger is included. No strings are attached....
189 ircdocs/modern-irc Sass click 2024-04 A useful overview and reference to the IRC client protocol as it is implemented today....
111 irccloud/irccat Go n/a 2024-04 cat to IRC...
93 tommyrot/superseriousstats PHP click 2024-04 superseriousstats is a fast and efficient program to create statistics out of various types of IRC chat logs...
82 mgedmin/irclog2html Python click 2023-10 Convert IRC logs to HTML...
67 ircart/ircart Shell n/a 2023-12 massive organized collection of irc art...
61 ircdocs/irc-defs HTML click 2024-03 More up-to-date IRC Definition Lists...
57 progval/matrix2051 Elixir n/a 2024-04 A Matrix gateway for IRC: connect to Matrix from your favorite IRC client....
53 grawity/irc-docs HTML n/a 2022-07 Collected IRC protocol documentation...
49 bagder/irchistory n/a click 2023-09 The history of IRC...
30 ergochat/ircdog Go n/a 2024-01 a tool for connecting to IRC servers and sending and receiving raw IRC protocol lines...
30 birdneststream/asciibird Vue click 2024-02 ASCII Creation...
22 ircart/resources n/a n/a 2023-06 everything you need to know about irc art...

This repository is maintained through IRC; #dev on irc.dutnie.nl:6697 (TLS), no Issues and PRs on GitHub please.