bitlbee ☆

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Description:
IRC to other chat networks gateway

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 3.6@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Networking

Tags: irc gateway chat xmpp matrix bridge

Install: brew install bitlbee

About:
Bitlbee is an IRC server that acts as a gateway to other chat networks, allowing users to connect to services like XMPP, Matrix, and Slack using any standard IRC client. It unifies multiple chat accounts into a single interface, providing a consistent and lightweight communication experience. This makes it ideal for users who prefer the IRC protocol or need to bridge modern chat services into a classic environment.

Key Features:

Multi-protocol gateway for IRC, XMPP, Matrix, and more
Unified chat interface via standard IRC clients
Support for group chats and private messaging
Secure connections with SSL/TLS support
Extensible with plugins and scripts

Use Cases:

Bridging modern chat platforms (like Slack or Matrix) into an IRC workflow
Managing multiple chat accounts from a single, lightweight client
Maintaining a persistent chat gateway on a home server

Alternatives:

matterbridge – More modern and actively maintained, supports a wider range of protocols, but runs as a standalone bridge rather than an IRC server.
purple – A libpurple-based gateway often used via finch or Pidgin; more focused on client-side multi-protocol support rather than server-side IRC integration.

License: GPL-2.0-or-later

Dependencies: glib, gnutls, libgcrypt, libgpg-error

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, sonoma, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 14, 2025 2:54pm		0	VERSION_BUMP	5302b680
Nov 25, 2022 5:49am		0	VERSION_BUMP	8b2eb3d2