Free IRC Clients?

[Deviationer]

So whats the "best" windows based free IRC client?

 

[AMD_Gamer]

mIRC

 

[Guitarrasdeamor]

I've always liked XChat. Used to be free, now isn't. However, if you use the portable "beta" version, it is.
http://portableapps.com/node/10907

 

[Deviationer]

mIRC

mirc is not free. That program is the sole reason I'm asking for other free, non-nagging, irc clients.

 

[eeyrjmr]

Depends on what you mean by "best"

I personally love irssi and use that in both windows and linux (but it is a command-line IRC client)

There is a very nice GUI IRC client that is for windows and Linux and that is XChat as someone pointed out it is now nagware.
However... XChat is GPL code (and XChat-windows provides teh src) so someone has taken it and un-nagged it

XChat-2
http://www.silverex.org/download/
is what you want

 

[StellaTerra]

I've always used IRSSI.
http://www.irssi.org/

 

[P4rD0nM3]

irssi or xchat should take the cake. Pidgin can do IRC too I believe.

 

[rowdypixel]

HydraIRC is a good option.

 

[MrGuvernment]

dam when did mIRC go shareware!!!

 

[rowdypixel]

dam when did mIRC go shareware!!!

About 12 years ago.

 

[Whatsisname]

xchat and irssi are the best

 

[illuminate]

xchat here. I used pidgin for a while cause that is what i use for my aim, msn, gtalk, and yahoo. But i didnt like the IRC part of it.

 

[Klob]

You can still use mIRC for free so long as you just ignore the nag screen. None of the functionality gets disabled if you don't register. At least that is how it used to be.

 

[devman]

irssi or xchat should take the cake. Pidgin can do IRC too I believe.

Pidgin can do IRC. Big thumbs up for Pidgin best IM client ever.

http://www.pidgin.im/

 

[Version_3]

I went hardcore.

I installed AndLinux in Vista. Then using the repo's, I installed the linux version of XChat (free).

 

[alan2308]

I'll throw a vote in for KVirc, though I have never used the Windows version.

 

[BillLeeLee]

I use irssi, and Silverex's build of XChat2 in Windows.

 

[CrimsonKnight13]

HydraIRC is a good option.

+1 if you don't use mIRC

if you do like mIRC, I recommend the NoNameScript to go with it...

 

[techminster]

I've read that Opera has a built-in IRC chat. Firefox has an addon that does the same, Chatzilla, but I think is restricted to some networks.

 

[Drakan290]

Pidgin and NNScript w/ mIRC are my favorites.

 

[LordOverLord]

mIRC without a doubt!