Best IRC clients for iOS in 2026
Updated July 22, 2026
iOS is even stricter than Android about background activity: apps get suspended seconds after you switch away, taking any direct IRC connection with them. A bare client that "supports iOS" but holds its own connection will be permanently reconnecting and permanently missing messages. The setups below respect this reality — and each one links to where you actually get it.
At a glance
| Client | Price | Open source | Persistence | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| goguma | $0.99 | Yes (AGPL) | Bouncer (soju) or direct | App Store |
| IRCCloud | Free / $6 per month | Apps only | Their cloud | App Store |
| Igloo | Free | No | Direct, push via relay | App Store |
| The Lounge | Free | Yes (MIT) | Your server, PWA | thelounge.chat — Safari, no App Store |
goguma — modern and bouncer-native
The iOS build of goguma brings the same design as on Android: a clean messenger-style interface built around IRCv3 chathistory and tight soju integration.
With a bouncer behind it, suspension stops mattering — history fills in on resume, and notifications can be delivered through the bouncer connection.
The strongest pick if you run your own infrastructure.
Download:
- App Store — $0.99, one time; the small fee is how the community-maintained port of the open source code pays its Apple bills
- AltStore PAL — if you sideload
IRCCloud — the path of least resistance
Practically designed for iOS's constraints, IRCCloud keeps the connection on their servers, so the app is just a view, push notifications are real APNs pushes, and history is always complete.
The free tier disconnects you after two hours of inactivity; staying online around the clock is $6 per month or $60 per year.
For an iPhone user who wants IRC to feel like iMessage, this is it.
Download: App Store — the app is free. On an Apple Silicon Mac the same app doubles as a desktop client. Details and trade-offs in IRCCloud, explained.
Igloo — the native indie
The best of the current native independents, Igloo is free, genuinely iOS-native, and actively updated, with the essentials — SASL, TLS, multiple networks — done properly.
It holds its own connection, so iOS's background limits apply; pair it with a bouncer for anything serious.
As a free, native way onto IRC it deserves the download.
Download: App Store — free.
The web route — The Lounge as a PWA
A self-hosted The Lounge added to the home screen works well on iOS: your server holds the connection and history, Safari's PWA support delivers the notifications, and there is no App Store dependency at all. The same logic applies to gamja against a soju bouncer — a URL instead of an app. Setup in the The Lounge guide.
What about the classic native clients?
The classics are leaving. Palaver was removed from the App Store in January 2026. Colloquy and LimeChat are still listed, but their last updates were in 2018 and 2020 — and they still charge $1.99 and $4.99. Paying for an abandoned client with a defunct push relay is how mobile IRC got its bad reputation. Check the "last updated" date before buying anything in this category. As of mid-2026, the list above is what survives that check.
Recommendations
- Self-hosters: goguma (or gamja in Safari) against soju.
- Everyone else: IRCCloud with the subscription.
- Native and free, casual use: Igloo.
- The Lounge households: home-screen PWA, done.
And as on every platform that reconnects frequently: SASL with a registered nick, so every reconnect identifies you automatically.