Textual

A native macOS IRC client with IRCv3 support, OTR encryption and customizable styles.

PaidProprietarymacOS
Official websitecodeux.comDownload pagecodeux.com

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About Textual

Textual is an Internet Relay Chat client made for macOS, with a choice of dark or light appearance. It supports modern IRCv3 specifications, native IPv6 and client-side certificate authentication, and can encrypt private conversations with Off-the-Record Messaging.

Appearance is changed with styles built on documented open standards, and addons can be written in AppleScript, Objective-C, Swift, PHP and other languages. Version 7 requires macOS Monterey or later. Since May 2024 it is no longer sold in the Mac App Store and is downloaded and purchased directly from the developer.

Strengths

  • Native macOS interface with dark and light modes
  • IRCv3, IPv6 and client certificate support
  • OTR encryption for private chats
  • Scriptable addons in many languages

Limitations

  • macOS only, requiring Monterey or later
  • Paid, and no longer in the Mac App Store

Details

Pricing
PaidSold directly by the developer; no longer available in the Mac App Store.
License
Proprietary
Developer
Codeux
Platforms
macOS
How it runs
Downloadable app
Account
Not required
Works offline
No
Best suited for
Mac users who want a polished native IRC client
Categories
Messaging
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.

Alternatives to Textual

Compare all

Software that can replace Textual for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.

  • Halloy

    An open-source IRC client for macOS, Windows and Linux, written in Rust and focused on speed.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Halloy is a free GPL-3.0 IRC client for macOS, Windows and Linux with broad IRCv3 support, but it is configured by editing a TOML file.

  • Irssi

    A terminal-based IRC client with split windows, extensive settings and scripting support.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Irssi is a free, scriptable terminal IRC client that runs on macOS and over SSH, replacing Textual's native Mac interface with keyboard and command driven use.

  • WeeChat

    An extensible terminal chat client with a full IRC plugin and scripting in eight languages.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    WeeChat is a free open source terminal IRC client with scripting in eight languages and remote interfaces, though it lacks a native macOS graphical interface.

  • The Lounge

    A self-hosted web IRC client that stays connected to servers while you are offline.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    The Lounge is a free self-hosted web IRC client that stays connected while you are offline, usable from any device but requiring your own Node.js server.

  • Pidgin

    A chat client that signs in to several networks at once, supporting XMPP, IRC, Matrix and more through plugins.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Pidgin is a free GPL client covering IRC, XMPP and more with OTR through plugins, though the project has no official macOS build.

  • Konversation

    A graphical IRC client from KDE with DCC file transfers, per-channel encodings and an embedded terminal.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Konversation is a free KDE graphical IRC client with DCC file transfers for Windows and Linux, so Mac users would need to change platform.

  • mIRC

    A long-running Windows client for chatting on Internet Relay Chat networks, sold as shareware.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

    mIRC is a long-running shareware IRC client that also requires registration, and it runs only on Windows rather than macOS.

Similar software

Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.

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