mIRC Alternatives for Linux

mIRC is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Discord, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to mIRC and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to mIRC are Pidgin, HexChat, irssi and WeeChat.

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Alternatives
mIRC alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Discord icon
     1158 likes

    An integrated platform for text and voice communications. Offers tailored channels for different topics, customizable moderation tools, low latency for fluency, and managed user roles for optimal community facilitation.

    239 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    • US flagUnited States
    Desktop UI
    Good alternative?
     
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  2. Pidgin icon
     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.

    124 Pidgin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • US flagUnited States
    For accounts on multiple chat networks
    Good alternative?
     
  3. HexChat icon
     225 likes

    HexChat is an IRC client based on XChat for Linux , but unlike XChat it’s completely free for both Windows and Unix-like systems.

    67 HexChat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz
    Good alternative?
     
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  4. irssi icon
     89 likes

    Irssi is a terminal based IRC client for UNIX systems. It also supports SILC and ICB protocols via plugins.

    60 irssi alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin
    Good alternative?
     
  5. WeeChat icon
     37 likes

    WeeChat is a free chat client, fast and light, designed for many operating systems. It is highly customizable and extensible with scripts.

    55 WeeChat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • Xfce
    Good alternative?
     
  6. KVIrc icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    Good alternative?
     
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  7. Sloga icon
     7 likes

    Free, privacy-focused chat platform for gaming communities offering servers, channels, roles, low-latency voice, video, screen sharing, 5GB uploads, message translation, end-to-end encrypted DMs and calls, forum features, calendar events, and no paid tiers.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Google Chrome
    • US flagUnited States
    Server chat
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Quassel IRC icon
     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...

    55 Quassel IRC alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  9. XChat for Linux icon
     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

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  10. Empathy icon
     156 likes

    Empathy is a messaging program which supports text, voice, video chat, and file transfers over many different protocols. You can tell it about your accounts on all those services and do all your chatting within one application.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Good alternative?
     
  11. Smuxi icon
     30 likes

    Smuxi is an irssi-inspired, flexible, user-friendly and cross-platform IRC client for sophisticated users, targeting the GNOME desktop.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Konversation icon
     26 likes

    Konversation is an IRC client which gives you speedy access to Freenode network's channels, where you will find support for most distributions.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Haiku
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 36 mIRC alternatives