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Textual vs The Lounge: catalog facts
Textual	The Lounge
Paid Sold directly by the developer; no longer available in the Mac App Store.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
macOS	Web, Self-hosted
Native macOS interface with dark and light modes IRCv3, IPv6 and client certificate support	Always connected, no separate bouncer needed Responsive interface for phones and desktops
macOS only, requiring Monterey or later Paid, and no longer in the Mac App Store	Requires running your own Node.js server IRC only
Downloadable app	Self-hosted
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	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.