ZNC
An IRC bouncer that stays connected to IRC networks so your client can disconnect without losing chat.
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1 more ways to get ZNC
Package managers
- Homebrew
brew install znc
About ZNC
ZNC runs on a server and keeps a permanent connection to one or more IRC networks. Your IRC client connects to ZNC instead of the network, so you can close the laptop or switch devices and pick up the session where it was. Each ZNC user can connect to several networks, with one client connection per network.
Setup starts with znc --makeconf, and settings can later be changed through a web interface or from IRC itself. Modules add features, and they can be written in C++, Perl or Python. Many Linux distributions package it.
Strengths
- Keeps IRC sessions alive while clients come and go
- Multiple users and multiple networks per user
- Web interface for configuration
- Module system with Perl and Python support
Limitations
- Needs an always-on server to be useful
- One client connection is needed per IRC network
- Building from source requires CMake and a C++ toolchain
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Developer
- The ZNC contributors
- Platforms
- macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
- How it runs
- Downloadable app, Self-hosted
- Account
- Not required
- Best suited for
- IRC users who want a persistent connection and scrollback across devices
- Categories
- Messaging
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 2 sources on file.
Alternatives to ZNC
Compare allSoftware that can replace ZNC for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
soju
A self-hosted IRC bouncer that stays connected to IRC servers for you and keeps chat history.
soju is a self-hosted IRC bouncer with chat history playback, many IRCv3 extensions and detached channels, though its license is not listed as open source.
The Lounge
A self-hosted web IRC client that stays connected to servers while you are offline.
The Lounge merges the always-on connection with a web IRC client usable from phones and desktops, so no separate client is needed, running on Node.js.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
WeeChat
An extensible terminal chat client with a full IRC plugin and scripting in eight languages.
Irssi
A terminal-based IRC client with split windows, extensive settings and scripting support.
Halloy
An open-source IRC client for macOS, Windows and Linux, written in Rust and focused on speed.
Konversation
A graphical IRC client from KDE with DCC file transfers, per-channel encodings and an embedded terminal.
Textual
A native macOS IRC client with IRCv3 support, OTR encryption and customizable styles.
mIRC
A long-running Windows client for chatting on Internet Relay Chat networks, sold as shareware.
