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Polari vs The Lounge: catalog facts
Polari	The Lounge
Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Linux	Web, Self-hosted
Integrates cleanly with the GNOME desktop Simple interface focused on conversations	Always connected, no separate bouncer needed Responsive interface for phones and desktops
Linux only Fewer power-user features than clients such as HexChat or WeeChat	Requires running your own Node.js server IRC only
Downloadable app	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0-or-later	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 October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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