Viber vs IRC

Viber has native apps for both Windows and Mac that allow you to send and receive messages from your desktop. You can also use the desktop to make and receive calls. Synchronizes between all devices you are using Viber on. Allows transferring calls between devices.

Viber has really well implemented voice tech. It has comparable quality to Skype and you can even tranfer calls from your phone to your desktop seamlessly.

Viber uses data connection and the app is free.

The interface is simple, functional and intuitive.

Viber is tied to your phone number so it can quickly see who else in your contacts list is using the application.

Viber includes Android Wear support on Android 4.3 or higher and Viber 5.3 or higher.

Viber's protocol uses the same concepts of the "double ratchet" protocol used in Open Whisper Systems Signal application.

It's possible to be a fly on the wall on other group or one-to-one chats that have been opened up to the public. These public chats are often promotional chats with celebrities.

Can call friends using voice or video options.

This has an advantage in that if you text someone who uses Viber it will be free, if not it will just revert to SMS. This means you can replace your standard messaging app with Viber as well.

Starting with Viber 6.0 the encryption keys are stored only on the clients themselves, not even Viber itself has access to them.

One of the best things about Viber is how it handles setup and sending messages. Viber uses your existing number as your ID, so you don't need to create a separate Viber account.

Viber allows creating groups of up to 200 people on the Android version of Viber. It also has a cool "smart notifications" feature to prevent being overwhelmed with notifications if a lot of people are active in a chat group.

Viber has made a documentation available, explaining in great details their encryption system and giving good insight on how it works.

The IRC protocol is public and open, it is mature and stable, and has been implemented in numerous projects. This means that it can be used freely, for both open-source and commercial projects.

IRC offers choice. Choice in clients (mobile, desktop, web), in scripts those clients run, in servers and features those servers have. You can even set up your own server.

Compared to other common solutions, IRC can be ignored when you are occupied doing something else. Most clients don't pester you with sounds or distracting visuals.

Every notable IRC client supports mentions - notifying you when your name is mentioned in the chat. The mentions in IRC are comparably better than Discord. Mentions used in Discord are easily abused; this doesn't happen in IRC. If someone's talking about you, you get a notification in IRC. This doesn't happen in something like Discord.

IRC has been around since 1988, so there is a ton of existing software to work with it. Everything from clients, to chat bots, to bouncers is already built.

You can choose your favorite server for an IRC network.

No need to sign up for access, confirm your e-mail address. Just choose a nickname and you're done.

IRC is user friendly if you use something like hexchat or kiwi webchat.

Direct Client-to-Client allows users to share files in a similar way to torrenting.

Twitter hashtags came from IRC channel names.