To connect to an IRC server, you will need a program called a client. There are many IRC clients available to you and which one you use depends on what operating system you run and which client you prefer. The following is a list of the most popular clients out there for UNIX, Windows, Macintosh, and OS/2. Try them and decide for yourself which one is best.
ircii
ircii has been around almost as long as IRC itself. Although it lacks the color support of more recent clients many people still prefer it.
EPIC
Based on ircii, EPIC still retains much of the look and feel of ircii. A plus is the support for ANSI color which makes for a more aesthetically pleasing client.
BitchX
Just as EPIC was based on ircii, BitchX was based on EPIC. It has its pros and cons so decide for yourself.
Zircon
Zircon is a client written in tcl/tk for the X windows system. If you prefer a more GUI driven client then Zircon isn't a bad choice.
mIRC
Quite possibly the most popular Windows client around, mIRC is a nice client for both the experienced IRC user and those who are new to it.
Pirch
Another Windows client with many faithful users.
vIRC
Yet another popular client for Windows
Ircle
Ircle is a popular client for the Macintosh with a strong scripting language. It supports connections to multiple servers as well.
MacIRC
Another popular client for the Mac.
OpenChat/2
A popular OS/2 client
BitchX
Like the UNIX version above, but with a PM UI