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The Lounge vs Polari: catalog facts
The Lounge	Polari
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Web, Self-hosted	Linux
Always connected, no separate bouncer needed Responsive interface for phones and desktops	Integrates cleanly with the GNOME desktop Simple interface focused on conversations
Requires running your own Node.js server IRC only	Linux only Fewer power-user features than clients such as HexChat or WeeChat
Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

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