Compare software

soju vs The Lounge: catalog facts
soju	The Lounge
Free No pricing is listed; the source is published on Codeberg.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Keeps you connected to IRC networks while your client is offline Chat history playback when you reconnect	Always connected, no separate bouncer needed Responsive interface for phones and desktops
Requires running your own server Needs a separate IRC client to chat	Requires running your own Node.js server IRC only
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	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.