The Lounge

The Lounge

The Lounge is an open source, self-hosted web IRC client that allows users to access IRC channels via a modern web interface. It provides features like push notifications, link previews, file uploads and more to enhance the traditional IRC experience.
The Lounge image
open-source selfhosted web-interface irc-client push-notifications link-previews file-uploads

The Lounge: Modern Web IRC Clients

An open source, self-hosted web IRC client with features like push notifications, link previews, file uploads and more

What is The Lounge?

The Lounge is an open source, self-hosted web IRC client that allows users to access IRC channels via a modern web interface rather than using a dedicated IRC client. It provides a faster, mobile-friendly alternative to traditional IRC clients while still maintaining the familiar IRC experience.

Key features of The Lounge include:

  • Modern and intuitive web interface with live chat, push notifications, and link/image previews
  • Persistent sessions - channels remain open even when offline
  • Syncs across multiple devices so conversations are not missed
  • Supports file uploads and sharing
  • Self-hosted and lightweight - runs on user's own server
  • Open source (MIT license) codebase with active development

By self-hosting The Lounge, users can enjoy the convenience of web IRC with the added privacy and control of having the chat server run on their own infrastructure. The responsive layout works well on mobile and desktop devices so users can stay connected from anywhere. And with persistent sessions and notifications, it's easy to maintain an active presence in chat communities.

For users who value the simplicity of IRC but want a more modern interface and user experience, The Lounge provides an excellent open source alternative to traditional IRC clients.

The Lounge Features

Features

  1. Modern web interface for IRC
  2. Persistent connections to IRC servers
  3. Push notifications
  4. Link previews
  5. File uploads
  6. User accounts and access controls
  7. Customizable themes

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Open source and self-hosted

Works across devices with a web browser

More user-friendly than traditional IRC clients

Additional features improve IRC experience

Active development community

Cons

Requires running your own server

Potentially complex initial setup

Missing some advanced IRC client features

Relies on browser support for all features


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