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Add to SafariWhen comparing LimeChat vs Textual, the Slant community recommends LimeChat for most people. In the question“What are the best IRC clients for Mac?” LimeChat is ranked 1st while Textual is ranked 2nd.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Free and Open Source
Pro Console-like interface
LimeChat has a nostalgic console feel that is still very functional. It features multiple themes including a three column layout.
Pro Native support for the Notification Center
Pro Includes many useful features
LimeChat includes many features that any IRC user would need such as:
- The ability to Connect to multiple servers and rooms
- Auto join rooms on startup
- File Sending
- Native Notification Center support
- SSL authorization
Pro Full range of keyboard shortcuts
Limechat has a fully featured shortcut list that makes navigating the program quick and easy.
Pro Fast and lightweight
Pro Native to Mac
Textual was developed just for Mac, so there's no need to worry about compatibility issues. It can be downloaded straight from the App Store and takes full advantage of Macs native features such as the Notification Center.
Pro Designed with simplicity in mind
Textual was built to be simple and easy to use. It is very clean and has features for both IRC newbies and power-users.
Pro Full-featured
Textual provides a wide range of features for any level of IRC user. It has basic options such as:
- Native Fullscreen support
- Native Notification Center support
- Wide range of keyboard shortcuts
And plenty of other basic features you would expect from a quality IRC client. It also has a plethora of advanced features for those looking to get under the hood:
- SOCK4 and SOCK5 support
- Full, native support for IPv6 users.
- Direct Client-to-Client (DCC) file transfer support
And many other customization options, such as theming.
Pro Regularly maintained and updated
The team at textual is always working on updating and getting rid of bugs in Textual which means its always improving.
Pro Can be used for free if you build it yourself
Textual is open source and includes instructions for building it. You can set the TEXTUAL_BUILT_WITH_LICENSE_MANAGER flag to 0 to skip trial/license popups.
Pro Open source
Source code is available here.
Pro Proxy support
Textual can proxy your connection to IRC servers through SOCKS4 / SOCKS5 on a per-server basis.
Pro Full, native support for IPv6
Pro ZNC integration
Support for ZNC out of the box, including history.
Cons
Con Console based
If you're not familiar with a text based IRC client already, it is definitely not user friendly for learning.
Con No way to search chat logs within LimeChat
Chat logs are not viewable within the app. You must find the file in the directory and open it with a text editor.
Con No DCC chat support
Con Requires payment (unless compiled from source)
Textual is a paid product, but can be used for free if you compile it yourself.
Con Unreliable when having network issues
If you are using VPNs, your connectivity with the IRC servers may drop and you will find it almost useless. It is able to reconnect, but is not able to rejoin the channels when it reconnects.
