IRC vs Missive

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.

In Missive you can live edit an email draft with your teammates, the draft composer acts exactly like a Google doc. Each team member has a different color cursor.

The email section allows for consuming all of your email accounts in it, utilizing shared addresses (help@acme.com), personal work inbox (philippe@acme.com) and personal inbox (phil@gmail.com).

It’s important because the collaborative part of Missive becomes useful when users consume all of their emails within the app. You not only want to collaborate around emails sent to your company help@address, but also around the really important emails you most likely receive at your personal company address, like that really important email you received from a potential high profile partner.

Missive is also a team chat app. When using Missive you can ditch your email client, chat app and help desk.

Merge all email accounts in one unified inbox.

You can create multiple tasks per conversation all assignable to a single or a group of persons.

Nicely written software. Always works as you'd expect, beautifully designed, a classy piece of software.

Supports multiple organizations with one user login.

Know exactly if and when the recipients read your important email.

Supports Gmail shortcuts.