XChat vs Old XChat IRC Client

No relationship at all. They just happen to share the same name.

The older XChat was an open-source IRC client created by Peter Zelezny in 1998. It was especially popular in Linux communities during the 2000s and is now effectively discontinued, with projects like HexChat taking over the space. That version belonged to the classic IRC era of developer and tech-community chat.

Today's XChat is a modern encrypted messaging product launched by X Corp. in 2026 under Musk's ownership. The two products are unrelated in architecture, functionality, and team. The name is best understood as an extension of the X brand rather than a tribute to the old IRC client.

If search results show both products, the simplest way to tell them apart is the developer. The Musk-era product is the one published by X Corp.