IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat, a text-based real-time chat protocol from 1988. It works on a client-server model: your client connects to a server, you join channels, and chat with others.

Yes. Networks like Libera.Chat, OFTC, EFnet, and Rizon are active every day. The open-source community especially uses IRC as home for project channels. Smaller than it once was, but very much alive.

Yes. The protocol, clients, and access to all public networks are free. If you want your own server or bouncer, you only pay for hardware or a cheap VPS.

Not necessarily. You can connect as a guest and read. To keep a permanent nickname, you register for free with NickServ, the registration service of each network.

Libera.Chat for open source and programming, OFTC for free software projects, EFnet as the classic, Rizon for anime and gaming. Find smaller thematic networks on IRC-Mania.de.

Install a client, enter the server address (for example irc.libera.chat, port 6697 with SSL), choose a nickname, connect, and join a channel with /join #channel. That’s it.

A public or private chat room that always starts with #. Channels exist network-wide and are moderated by channel operators.

Your display name on the network. Without registration with NickServ, it’s not permanently yours and others can claim it.

The Lounge as a web solution with built-in history, or HexChat as a classic desktop client. Both are free and easy to set up.

The most popular Windows IRC client since 1995, shareware with a small purchase prompt. Still functionally excellent, with many plugins and scripts available.

WeeChat and irssi in the terminal are the classics for server users. If you want a graphical interface, The Lounge is a self-hosted web client option.

Yes: Revolution IRC for Android, Palaver for iOS, and IRCCloud as a cross-platform service that keeps you permanently online.

A proxy between you and the IRC network that stays permanently online. It stores history so you don’t miss messages while offline. Popular software: ZNC and Soju.

Via a bouncer (ZNC, Soju), a modern server like Ergo with built-in history, or IRCv3-capable clients with CHATHISTORY support.

Yes. Kiwi IRC and The Lounge run in the browser. Some networks offer web gateways directly, like web.libera.chat.

Direct Client-to-Client: direct connections between two clients for file transfers or private chats, without the server in between. Be careful with DCC offers from strangers, it’s a classic attack vector.

Use /join #channelname. Example: /join #linux. A full command overview is available in our IRC commands article.

Use /part #channelname or just /part in the active channel window.

Use /nick NewName. Only works if the name is free and not registered by someone else.

Use /msg Nickname message or /query Nickname to open a separate window.

/me laughs displays your line as an action in the channel: “Nickname laughs”. The original form of emotes, long before Discord.

/list shows all channels on the network with user count and topic. On large networks, /list returns thousands of entries, so filter with /list keyword.

The subject line of a channel, visible when you join. Often contains rules, links, and current notices. Channel operators can set it with /topic.

/whois Nickname shows details about a person, /names #channel shows the user list, /ison Nick checks if someone is online.

/ignore Nickname blocks messages from that person. Available in every client for dealing with annoying users.

/notify Nickname alerts you when someone comes online. Handy to catch acquaintances you don’t want to miss.

@ = Operator (can moderate), % = Halfop (limited mod rights), + = Voice (can write in a moderated channel). No symbol = regular user.

Services are pseudo-servers for registration and management: NickServ for nicknames, ChanServ for channels, MemoServ for messages, BotServ for bots, OperServ for network admins. Details on our IRC services page.

/msg NickServ REGISTER password email. After that, log in at each connection with /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password.

/msg NickServ RESETPASS Nickname sends a code to your registered email so you can set a new password.

If you registered it: /msg NickServ GHOST Nickname password kicks out the other user. Without registration you have no recourse, so always register.

/msg ChanServ REGISTER #channel description when you’re an operator in the empty, unregistered channel. ChanServ then joins as a protective bot and manages access.

Manually: /mode #channel +o Nickname. Permanently via services: /msg ChanServ OP #channel Nickname or access lists with /msg ChanServ ACCESS.

MemoServ sends messages to offline users: /msg MemoServ SEND Nickname your message. The recipient gets it on next login.

BotServ provides network bots for channels: /msg BotServ ASSIGN #channel Botname brings a bot to your channel that can kick, ban, and greet users. More in our services article.

Most important: ASSIGN, UNASSIGN, BOTLIST, KICK, INFO. Full list in our commands article and on IRC-Mania.de.

The admin service for network operators: K-Lines, server management, network messages. Regular users never need it, but the commands are listed in our command overview.

IRC Daemon: the server software that runs an IRC network. The major implementations are UnrealIRCd, InspIRCd, Hybrid, ngIRCd, and Ergo. For more depth, see our IRCD article.

UnrealIRCd by a wide margin, followed by InspIRCd, Hybrid, and ngIRCd. Ergo is growing rapidly because it has Services and message history built in.

Yes. Ergo is the easiest entry point (single binary, Services integrated), while UnrealIRCd is the classic choice with maximum module flexibility. Setup guides are available at IRC-Mania.de.

Multiple linked IRC servers that synchronize channels and users. Libera.Chat, EFnet, and OFTC are networks. A single server on its own is a mini-network.

Use server-link blocks in the IRCD configuration with a password and port. This is admin-level work; documentation is in your IRCD’s docs and on IRC-Coding.de.

The software behind NickServ, ChanServ, and similar services. Anope is the current standard, with Atheme and older systems also available. Ergo includes Services built in.

When the connection between two network servers drops, the network splits in two and users appear to disconnect en masse. When the link restores, everything synchronizes again.

IRC Operators are network administrators with global privileges: kills, K-Lines, server management. They’re identifiable by their Oper status in whois output.

A program that joins a channel as a user and acts automatically: moderation, logging, games, information delivery. Eggdrop is the classic example; modern bots run on Python, Node, or AI backends.

The oldest IRC bot, active since 1993, scriptable in Tcl and still maintained. You’ll find countless setup and scripting tutorials on IRC-Coding.de.

Yes, and it’s one of the most exciting IRC applications today: the bot connects to the network, receives messages, queries a local LLM, and responds in the channel. See our IRC bot article and IRC-Coding.de.

BotServ provides network-side bots, Eggdrop and Limnoria/Supybot are open frameworks, and IRC-Coding.de has over 500 articles about bot coding.

Yes, that’s its primary job: flood and spam detection, bad-word filtering, auto-kick, and ban lists. BotServ bots handle this network-wide; Eggdrops can be configured locally.

IRC is text-based and straightforward, but open ports, unencrypted connections, and unsolicited DCC offers are real risks. Use TLS, don’t accept DCC from strangers, and read the guides at IRC-Security.de.

Only with TLS/SSL, standard port 6697. Without SSL, your chat travels in plaintext across the network. Every modern client and network supports SSL; always use it.

Distributed attacks on servers or users; they were routine in IRC during the 1990s and 2000s. Less common today, but they still happen. Protection measures are explained at IRC-Mania under /ddos/.

Networks scan incoming connections for open proxies to keep out botnets and floders. If your connection is scanned, that’s normal and protects you. Learn more in our Cybersecurity article.

Use cloaking (your host is masked, usually automatic), vHosts via HostServ, or a bouncer/VPN. For sensitive scenarios, IRC-Security.de covers the best practices.

Compromised machines and botnets: flooder groups controlled thousands of computers for channel takeovers and DDoS attacks. The article IRC Cybersecurity Defense tells the story and the countermeasures.

Check the port (6667 unencrypted, 6697 with SSL), your firewall settings, and whether the network is reachable. Pay attention to error messages from your client; they’re usually self-explanatory.

Either an old ghost connection of yours is still active (/msg NickServ GHOST) or someone else is using your nick. Switch temporarily with /nick, then resolve the conflict through Services.

Channel operators decide. Politely ask via /msg if they’ll lift the ban. Circumventing it with a different nick or connection is the fastest way to get a permanent network-wide ban.

IRC doesn’t store history without a bouncer or Ergo server. Anything written before you connected is lost. Solution: use a bouncer or IRCv3 history.

You sent too many lines too fast and the server disconnected you. Send bot output and paste blocks more slowly, and you’ll reconnect.

Network-wide bans on host or IP, set by IRCops via OperServ. If you have a K-Line, you can’t connect and must contact network support.

Check the #help channel on your network, IRC-FAQ.de for quick German answers, and IRC-FAQ.com for international questions.

Voice, video, screen sharing, persistent message history out of the box, app integrations, and multimedia previews. IRC remains text-based by design.

Self-hosting, full protocol control, no tracking, no corporate entity, minimal resource footprint, and a 37-year-old protocol that takes five minutes to understand.

Because the protocol is open, channels belong to the community rather than a platform, bots are trivial to write, and there’s no vendor lock-in. Libera.Chat hosts most of the scene.

For communities that prioritize control and privacy, yes. For communities that need voice, video, and convenience, Discord is the more pragmatic choice. Both operating in parallel is common.

Structured learning at IRC-Mania.de, the largest German-language IRC resource. Quick answers on IRC-FAQ.de, coding tutorials on IRC-Coding.de, and international coverage at IRC-FAQ.com.