HexChat Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to HexChat for Windows and since it's discontinued a lot of people are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is Pidgin, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to HexChat and many of them are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to HexChat are SeaMonkey, mIRC, Quassel IRC and XChat for Linux.

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HexChat alternatives page was last updated Feb 19, 2024

Pidgin
1530 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.
120 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
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Pidgin is Free and Open SourceHexChat is also Free and Open Source
SeaMonkey
241 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.
185 SeaMonkey alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Web Browser
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
+3
Is SeaMonkey a good alternative to HexChat?
mIRC
97 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.
62 mIRC alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Windows
Is mIRC a good alternative to HexChat?
Quassel IRC
51 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
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
irssi
86 likes
Irssi is a terminal based IRC client for UNIX systems. It also supports SILC and ICB protocols via plugins.
58 irssi alternatives
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
29 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!
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
Review by a new / low-activity user.
AdiIRC is Free and ProprietaryHexChat is 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
31 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?
LimeChat
16 likes
LimeChat is an IRC client for Windows, Mac OS X and iOS.

Features

Can connect to multiple servers in a window By key operation was rich, achieve a sense of comfortable operation Customization capabilities over the details Stable operation at light Search and comfortable log in.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
IRC Client
Origin
Japan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
iPhone
iPad
+5
Is LimeChat a good alternative to HexChat?
Nettalk
6 likes
Nettalk is a powerful but easy to use free (open source) IRC-client for Windows. The smart user interface is based on Windows standards, so it is easy to get used to it. The following languages for the interface are available: English, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Hungarian...
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
IRC Client
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Windows
Is Nettalk a good alternative to HexChat?