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What is IRC in 2026?
- Old, but not dead. Running since 1988, still carrying 150,000+ people right now.
- Most guides are older than they look. Dead clients, dead networks, habits from before SSL was normal.
- This site is kept current. Spot something stale? That's a bug — tell us and we'll fix it.
Latest IRC news
IRCv3 drops six abandoned clients
7 August. HexChat, LimeChat, IceChat, Colloquy, Ambassador and Moon Moon were struck from the IRCv3 support tables in one commit, each with a stated reason. The clearest signal yet of which desktop clients the ecosystem now considers over.
Ergo 2.19.1 fixes three security holes
5 August. Two high-severity authorization bugs — suspended accounts could get back in, and users could delete messages that were not theirs — plus an SSRF. Every release up to 2.19.0 is affected, and the upgrade needs no config changes.
IRCv3 starts flagging AI-assisted clients
4 August. A grey robot icon now marks software whose development was substantially AI-assisted, and The Lounge is wearing one. A reasonable idea shipped ahead of its governance: no published criteria, and no way to contest a mark.
WeeChat 4.10 adds themes
2 August. A real theming system, and a built-in light theme that applies itself the first time you start WeeChat in a light terminal — fixing a bad first impression that has been there for years.
WeeChat 4.9.5: not just the relay this time
26 July. Three more advisories a week after 4.9.4, but two of them sit in the IRC plugin rather than the relay, triggered by traffic from the server you are connected to. Not running a relay is no longer protection.
Everything else is in IRC news, and the year so far is summarised in IRC in the first half of 2026.
Find your way in
Not sure where to start? Pick the thread that matches you.
New to IRC
The five-minute version: what this thing is, how to get in, and the handful of commands you actually need.
- What is IRC? — the protocol, the history, and why it refuses to die
- How to join an IRC channel — from zero to chatting
- How to register a nickname — claim your name with NickServ
- IRC commands cheat sheet — the reference you will keep open
Pick a network
There is no single "IRC" — there are many independent networks. Here is the lay of the land and how to choose.
- IRC networks overview — every major network, sized and compared → also the Networks hub
- Freenode vs Libera.Chat — what happened in 2021, and where everyone went
- Whatever happened to QuakeNet? — no, it did not shut down
- Is IRC dead? — the honest numbers
Pick a client
From a polished terminal setup to an app on your phone — find something that fits how you work.
- The best IRC clients in 2026 — the shortlist, by platform → also the Clients hub
- Use IRC in your browser — nothing to install
- Best IRC clients for Android and for iOS
Understand the protocol
Once you are comfortable, here is what is actually happening on the wire.
- The IRC protocol, explained — read a raw line and understand every part
- Channel modes explained — +n, +t, +m and friends
- What is a netsplit? — why everyone vanishes at once
- What is IRCv3? — the modern extensions worth knowing
Stay connected
Close the laptop without leaving the channel. This is the part newcomers miss.
- What is an IRC bouncer? — stay online while you are offline
- ZNC setup guide and soju setup guide — the two bouncers worth running
- The Lounge setup guide — a self-hosted web client that doubles as one
Run it and build on it
IRC is small enough that one person can run a whole network — or teach a bot to live in it.
- Run your own IRC server — it is a weekend, not a career
- Ergo setup guide — a modern all-in-one server
- Writing an IRC bot — the loop at the heart of every bot
- IRC services and tools — NickServ, ChanServ and the rest
History and culture
Where it came from, the unwritten rules, and how it stacks up against the newer chat apps.
- A history of IRC — 1988 to today
- IRC etiquette — don't ask to ask
- IRC vs Discord — the honest comparison, minus the hype
- IRC glossary — every term, defined
That is the map. You can also browse every article, explore them by topic, or follow along with the RSS feed. New here and want the guided route? Begin at Start here.