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Irssi vs The Lounge: catalog facts
Irssi	The Lounge
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Web, Self-hosted
Runs in any terminal, including over SSH Scriptable and highly configurable	Always connected, no separate bouncer needed Responsive interface for phones and desktops
Keyboard and command driven, with a learning curve IRC only, no other chat protocols	Requires running your own Node.js server IRC only
Downloadable app	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: MIT
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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