# hexchat/hexchat

GTK+ IRC client

Repository: https://github.com/hexchat/hexchat
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/hexchat
Homepage: https://hexchat.github.io
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: irc, irc-client, gtk, linux, windows, meson, c, hexchat
Archived: true
Last push: 2024-08-19T02:29:21+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5166, "days_push": 745, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 3231, forks 567 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:50.164605+00:00)

## What it is
HexChat is a free, open-source graphical IRC client based on XChat, built with GTK+ for Windows and Unix-like systems. It supports multiple networks, scripting via Python, Perl, and Lua, and features like SASL, proxies, DCC, and spellcheck.

## Use cases
- chat on IRC from Windows or Linux
- connect to multiple IRC networks with auto-connect and auto-identify
- write IRC scripts or plugins in Python, Perl, or Lua
- use IRC behind a proxy with SASL authentication
- customize an IRC client with themes and translations

## When to choose
- you want a free, cross-platform GUI IRC client
- you need a scriptable IRC client with plugin APIs
- you want a maintained XChat successor

## When to avoid
- you prefer a terminal-based IRC client
- you need modern chat platforms beyond IRC
- you want a client with frequent new releases

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: gui, chat-interface, plugin-system
- domain: messaging-platforms, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: irc-client, gtk, xchat-fork, scriptable, sasl, multi-network, linux, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- hexchat/hexchat (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:50.164605+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:24:38.966123+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/hexchat/hexchat (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:50.164605+00:00, sha 1d7765f0a4da)
  - homepage: https://hexchat.github.io (fetched 2026-08-29T09:37:33.490154+00:00, sha 1776ed10d66b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.