HexChat AlternativesIRC Clients & Instant Messengers like HexChat

HexChat is described as 'IRC client based on XChat for Linux , but unlike XChat it’s completely free for both Windows and Unix-like systems' and is a very popular IRC Client in the social & communications category. There are more than 50 alternatives to HexChat for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, Self-Hosted and Web-based apps. The best HexChat alternative is Pidgin, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like HexChat are SeaMonkey, Adium, mIRC and WeeChat.

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HexChat alternatives page was last updated Feb 19, 2024

Pidgin
1533 likes
Pidgin is a chat program which lets you log into accounts on multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on XMPP and sitting in an IRC channel at the same time.
123 Pidgin alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Flathub
PortableApps.com
+4
Is Pidgin a good alternative to HexChat?

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3comments
Pidgin vs HexChat Comments

AntumDeluge
Positive commentDec 11, 2017
3
It has a fully featured IRC client functionality.
artyhedgehog
Negative commentMar 2, 2017
1
Pidgin is more for IM protocols in general like XMPP, ICQ etc., while HexChat is for IRC chat.
Guest
Negative commentOct 7, 2020
1
Pidgin has IRC features, but it is a very poor implementation due to the entire program being focused on Instant Messaging
Pidgin is Free and Open SourceHexChat is also Free and Open Source
Pidgin is an Instant Messenger HexChat is an IRC Client
SeaMonkey
249 likes
Web-browser, advanced e-mail, newsgroup and feed client, IRC chat, and HTML editing in one application. Itis built on the open source Mozilla Gecko engine, the same code which underlies Thunderbird and is the base for the Firefox browser.
190 SeaMonkey alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Web Browser
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
+3
Is SeaMonkey a good alternative to HexChat?
Adium
337 likes
Adium is a free and open source instant messaging application for Mac OS X, written using Mac OS Xs Cocoa API, released under the GNU GPL and developed by the Adium team. Based on the libpurple protocol library, Adium can connect you to any number of messaging accounts on any...
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Instant Messenger
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Is Adium a good alternative to HexChat?

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2comments
Discontinued
The last update is from March 2021.
Adium vs HexChat Comments

twisted_code
Negative commentMar 2, 2022
2
Hexchat is an IRC client, this is not and is useless to anyone trying to connect to an IRC server (i.e., an overwhelming majority of HexChat users)... the matching algorithm seems to be oblivious to this detail.
Guest
Negative commentOct 7, 2020
1
Is an instant messenger, not an IRC client
Adium is Free and Open SourceHexChat is also Free and Open Source
Adium is an Instant Messenger HexChat is an IRC Client
Adium is CustomizableHexChat is not according to our users
mIRC
99 likes
Enables real-time chat on Windows with group or private messaging, multi-server access, file transfers, encryption, proxy and IPv6 support, chat logging, notifications, dark mode, and a scripting language for custom automation or developing communication tools and games.
71 mIRC alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Windows
Is mIRC a good alternative to HexChat?
WeeChat
37 likes
WeeChat is a free chat client, fast and light, designed for many operating systems. It is highly customizable and extensible with scripts.
54 WeeChat alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application types
IRC Client
Instant Messenger
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Linux
BSD
Haiku
Xfce
Is WeeChat a good alternative to HexChat?
irssi
89 likes
Irssi is a terminal based IRC client for UNIX systems. It also supports SILC and ICB protocols via plugins.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
International
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Cygwin
Is irssi a good alternative to HexChat?
AdiIRC
30 likes
c#/csharp IRC CLient. AdiIRC stores all its settings in text files, this way you can grab the adiirc folder and put in on a usb device or external harddrive. Take all your settings and servers with you everywhere!
46 AdiIRC alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Origin
Norway
Platforms
Windows
Wine
+3
Is AdiIRC a good alternative to HexChat?

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1comment
AdiIRC vs HexChat Comments

Guest
Positive commentDec 31, 2016
-1
Hexchat crashes and have some bugs. also AdiIRC has a portable version
AdiIRC is Free and ProprietaryHexChat is Free and Open Source
Quassel IRC
50 likes
Quassel IRC is a modern, cross-platform, distributed IRC client based on the Qt5 framework. Distributed means that one (or multiple) client(s) can attach to and detach from a central core that stays permanently online -- much like the popular combination of screen and a...
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
International
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Is Quassel IRC a good alternative to HexChat?

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1comment
Quassel IRC vs HexChat Comments

AntumDeluge
Positive commentDec 11, 2017
1
It is a full IRC client, just like HexChat.
Quassel IRC is Free and Open SourceHexChat is also Free and Open Source
XChat for Linux
103 likes
XChat is an IRC chat program for both Linux and Windows. It allows you to join multiple IRC channels (chat rooms) at the same time, talk publicly, private one-on-one conversations etc. Even file transfers are possible.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
Australia
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Windows
Linux
Is XChat for Linux a good alternative to HexChat?

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1comment
Discontinued
The program is no longer updated. Last version, 2.8.8, released in May 2010, can be still downloaded from the official website.
XChat for Linux vs HexChat Comments

AntumDeluge
Positive commentMar 8, 2018
-1
HexChat is a fork of XChat. They are both fully featured IRC clients.
XChat for Linux is Free and Open SourceHexChat is also Free and Open Source
KVIrc
45 likes
Free open-source IRC client offering cross-platform support, Qt interface, rich scripting, customizable themes, Unicode, SSL encryption, logging, multi-server connectivity, DCC file transfers, plugin system, event automation, proxy and IPv6 compatibility, and localization.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
Italy
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
Is KVIrc a good alternative to HexChat?
Smuxi
30 likes
Smuxi is an irssi-inspired, flexible, user-friendly and cross-platform IRC client for sophisticated users, targeting the GNOME desktop.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
+2
Is Smuxi a good alternative to HexChat?
XChat for Windows
3 likes
XChat is an IRC chat program for both Linux (Open Source) and Windows (Shareware, 30-day trial). It allows you to join multiple IRC channels (chat rooms) at the same time, talk publicly, private one-on-one conversations etc. Even file transfers are possible.
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
Australia
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Windows
Is XChat for Windows a good alternative to HexChat?