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Irssi vs IceChat: catalog facts
Irssi	IceChat
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows
Runs in any terminal, including over SSH Scriptable and highly configurable	Multi-server and multi-channel support with a server tree Aliases, popups and themes for customization
Keyboard and command driven, with a learning curve IRC only, no other chat protocols	Windows only IRC is unencrypted unless the server supports TLS
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
No account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.