What Is XChat and How Does HexChat Compare as a Free IRC Client?

Updated

XChat is an IRC client, and HexChat is a free, open-source IRC client built from XChat's source code. If you are looking for an XChat-style client that is free on both Windows and Unix-like systems, HexChat is the direct replacement: it keeps the familiar interface and adds active development, cross-platform builds, and scripting in Lua, Python, and Perl. Choose XChat only if you specifically need the original shareware product; choose HexChat if you want the same lineage without the shareware licensing.

What XChat is

XChat is an IRC client — a desktop application for connecting to IRC networks, joining channels, and chatting in real time. Its source code is open source, which is what makes derivative clients like HexChat legally possible.

The important distinction is licensing and distribution, not the underlying protocol. XChat itself is distributed as shareware, while the code it is based on is open source.

How HexChat relates to XChat

HexChat is an IRC client based on XChat. According to the HexChat project, unlike XChat it is completely free for both Windows and Unix-like systems, and because XChat is open source, building a free client from it is perfectly legal.

The lineage is documented by the project:

  • HexChat was originally called XChat-WDK.
  • XChat-WDK was itself a successor of freakschat.

So if you have seen the name XChat-WDK in older discussions, that is the same project that became HexChat.

Licensing and cost: the main difference

XChat HexChat
Distribution model Shareware Free
Cost on Windows Shareware terms apply Free
Cost on Unix-like systems Shareware terms apply Free
Source code Open source Open source
Development status Original product Actively developed

The practical takeaway: HexChat's own documentation states it is completely free on both Windows and Unix-like systems, and that this is legal precisely because XChat is open source. If avoiding shareware terms is your goal, HexChat is the option the project itself positions as the alternative.

What HexChat gives you

HexChat's documented feature set covers the things most IRC users need:

  • Easy to use and customizable interface — the XChat-style layout, adjustable to your preferences.
  • Cross-platform — runs on Windows and Unix-like operating systems.
  • Highly scriptable — supports Lua, Python, and Perl for extending and automating the client.
  • Translated in multiple languages.
  • Fully open source and actively developed.
  • Multi-network — auto-connect, auto-join, and auto-identify.
  • Additional support — spellcheck, proxies, SASL, DCC, and more.

The scripting point matters if you have existing XChat scripts or want to automate channel management, logging, or notifications: Lua, Python, and Perl are the supported languages.

Deciding between them

Use HexChat if:

  • You want an XChat-style IRC client that is free on Windows and Unix-like systems.
  • You want a client that is actively developed and open source.
  • You want to script in Lua, Python, or Perl.
  • You need multi-network auto-connect, auto-join, and auto-identify, plus SASL, DCC, proxies, and spellcheck.

Stay with XChat if:

  • You specifically need the original XChat product and its shareware terms are acceptable to you.

For most people asking "what is XChat and is there a free version," the answer is HexChat: same IRC client lineage, free on both major platform families, and actively maintained.