Compare software

ZNC vs soju: catalog facts
ZNC	soju
Best for: IRC users who want a persistent connection and scrollback across devices	Best for: IRC users who want persistent connections and history across devices
Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.	Free No pricing is listed; the source is published on Codeberg.
macOS, Linux, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Keeps IRC sessions alive while clients come and go Multiple users and multiple networks per user All 4 strengths for ZNC Keeps IRC sessions alive while clients come and go Multiple users and multiple networks per user Web interface for configuration Module system with Perl and Python support	Keeps you connected to IRC networks while your client is offline Chat history playback when you reconnect All 4 strengths for soju Keeps you connected to IRC networks while your client is offline Chat history playback when you reconnect Supports multiple users and many IRCv3 extensions Detached channels for low-priority rooms
Needs an always-on server to be useful One client connection is needed per IRC network All 3 limitations for ZNC Needs an always-on server to be useful One client connection is needed per IRC network Building from source requires CMake and a C++ toolchain	Requires running your own server Needs a separate IRC client to chat
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Not open source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
No account 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 Sources for ZNC znc.in github.com/znc/znc Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for soju soju.im Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.