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Last Updated: 07-25-2026 06:36 PM (UTC)

The Lounge

"Forget about bouncers" became a real sentence because of The Lounge: a Node.js web IRC client that holds persistent connections to your networks 24/7, logging everything while you sleep, so closing the browser tab never means missing a message or losing your place in a channel. Open it again from any device - desktop, phone, tablet - and you resume exactly where you left off, with full history synchronized. Because it combines bouncer and client in one process, the experience feels like a modern chat app rather than 1990s infrastructure: push notifications for highlights and private messages (with self-generated VAPID keys, so even Web Push needs no third-party service), automatic link previews, inline file and image uploads, and full IRCv3 protocol support. It installs as a progressive web app from any modern browser, so phones get a native-feel client without an app store. Multi-user support means one instance serves your whole team or community, each user with their own networks and history, and LDAP integration ties into existing authentication. A public mode alternatively serves as an open, registration-free web chat for events or support channels. MIT-licensed, born as a fork of Shout, and a fixture of self-hosting stacks since.

The Lounge

Benefits

  • The Bouncer Disappears
  • Persistent server-side connections replace ZNC and its configuration pain.
  • Every Device, Same Session
  • Resume conversations with full history on desktop, phone, or tablet.
  • IRC That Notifies You
  • Web Push for highlights and PMs, with self-hosted VAPID keys.
  • One Server, Whole Community
  • Multi-user accounts with per-user networks, history, and LDAP auth.

Features

  • Always-Connected Sessions
  • Connections stay open and logging 24/7, even with no client attached.
  • Modern Chat Comforts
  • Link previews, inline file and image uploads, and responsive design.
  • IRCv3 Support
  • Modern protocol capabilities on top of classic IRC networks.
  • Progressive Web App
  • Installable from any browser for a native-like mobile experience.
  • Public Mode
  • Optional registration-free open chat for events and support.
  • Theming
  • Built-in and custom themes restyle the whole client.