Snak 5.2.x
This client is what I personally recommend to users who may be coming from a Windows/mIRC background (welcome!) or who want a more serious IRC client with all the latest bells and whistles, full support, etc. Snak is the most rich in features and has been actively developed since the 1990s, with dozens of updates over the past few years while the traditional gold standard Ircle has essentially stood still. Snak appeals to people who prefer a streamlined interface without sacrificing all the “cool” features. Everything for each channel is contained in one window, docking windows will in fact allow multiple channels to share a window to maximize your precious screen space. The channel list feature is particularly fast and easy to use (unlike Ircle). Very easy to set up and configure. Supports both the scripting language from the classic ircII client for *nix (UNIX, Linux, etc.) shell access acounts, so you can tap into the wealth of existing ircII scripts, as well as Ircle-style Applescript scripts. There are also automated responses to events so that you can set up script-like actions without being a scripting expert. For those who like such things, fully customizable appearance themes are available. Supports multiple connections, and for each connection, uses ircII-style server lists which will automatically try the next server in a list until it succeeds (Ircle only allows one server to be defined for each connection). Guardian feature permits adult control, for what that’s worth (Ircle has none). MP3 list feature facilitates downloads. Excellent built-in help menu, balloon help, and bundled help manual (Ircle has none). $29 shareware (covering updates over 2 years) is a great value and an example of how shareware really can work.