# WeeChat

[](https://hostux.social/@weechat) [](https://diasp.eu/u/weechat) [](https://x.com/WeeChatClient) [](https://blog.weechat.org/) [](https://www.slant.co/topics/1323/~best-irc-clients-for-linux) [](https://weechat.org/donate/) [](https://github.com/weechat/weechat/actions) [](https://codecov.io/gh/weechat/weechat) [](https://api.reuse.software/info/github.com/weechat/weechat) **WeeChat** (Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat) is a free chat client, fast and light, designed for many operating systems.\ It is highly customizable and extensible with scripts. Homepage: [https://weechat.org/](https://weechat.org/) ## Features - **Modular chat client**: WeeChat has a lightweight core and optional [plugins](https://weechat.org/doc/weechat/user/#plugins). All plugins (including [IRC](https://weechat.org/doc/weechat/user/#irc)) are independent and can be unloaded. - **Multi-platform**: WeeChat runs on GNU/Linux, *BSD, GNU/Hurd, Haiku, macOS and Windows (Bash/Ubuntu and Cygwin). - **Multi-protocols**: WeeChat is designed to support multiple protocols by plugins, like IRC. - **Standards-compliant**: the IRC plugin is compliant with RFCs [1459](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1459), [2810](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2810), [2811](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2811), [2812](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2812), [2813](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2813) and [7194](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7194). - **Small, fast, and very light**: the core is and should stay as light and fast as possible. - **Customizable and extensible**: there are a lot of options to customize WeeChat, and it is extensible with C plugins and [scripts](https://weechat.org/scripts/) ([Perl](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/perl/), [Python](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/python/), [Ruby](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/ruby), [Lua](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/lua/), [Tcl](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/tcl/), [Scheme](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/guile/), [JavaScript](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/javascript/) and [PHP](https://weechat.org/scripts/language/php/)). - **Fully documented**: there is comprehensive [documentation](https://weechat.org/doc/weechat/), which is [translated](https://weechat.org/doc/weechat/dev/#translations) into several languages. - **Developed from scratch**: WeeChat was built from scratch and is not based on any other client. - **Free software**: WeeChat is released under [GPLv3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html).

On WeeChat's website you can find [more screenshots](https://weechat.org/about/screenshots/). ## Installation WeeChat can be installed using your favorite package manager (recommended) or by compiling it yourself.\ For detailed instructions, please check the [WeeChat user's guide](https://weechat.org/doc/weechat/user/#install). ## Semantic versioning WeeChat is following a "practical" semantic versioning, see file [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md#semantic-versioning). ## Copyright Copyright © 2003-2026 [Sébastien Helleu](https://github.com/flashcode) This file is part of WeeChat, the extensible chat client. WeeChat is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. WeeChat is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with WeeChat. If not, see .