TurboIRC 3 vs Element X
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TurboIRC 3
This is an advanced IRC client for iOS devices, offering a full suite of features for real-time chat. It supports unlimited channels, rich text formatting, log saving, and extensive server and user controls. Enjoy file transfers, scripting, and more, all for free.
- Unlimited channels
- Rich text formatting
- Save HTML logs
- Channel and Nick control
- File transfers
- JavaScript scripting
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The Ultimate iOS IRC Client, now with ALL FEATURES FREE. * Unlimited channels * Bold,Italic,Color recognition in chat * Save HTML Logs * Channel and Nick control * Queries * UTF-8 encoding and other encodings. * UPnP Support * Ident Support * DCC support * Smileys * Multiple Servers * File Tranfers * Exclusive Features * JavaScript scripting
Element X
Communicate securely and privately with instant messaging and video calls. This app offers robust features for individuals and communities, allowing you to own your data and choose where it's hosted. Enjoy real-time communication with synchronized history across all your devices.
- Real-time messaging
- Video calls
- Public and private rooms
- Rich messaging features
- Cross-device synchronization
- Data ownership and server choice
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Freedom to communicate on your own terms For individuals and communities - private communication between family, friends, hobby groups, clubs, etc. Element X gives you fast, secure and private instant messaging and video calls built on Matrix, the open standard for real-time communication. This is a free and open-source app maintained at https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios Stay in touch with friends, family and communities with: • Real time messaging & video calls • Public rooms for open group communication • Private rooms for closed group communication • Rich messaging features: emoji reactions, replies, polls, pinned messages and more. • Video calling while browsing messages. • Interoperability with other Matrix-based apps such as FluffyChat, Cinny and many more. Privacy-first Unlike some other messengers from Big Tech companies, we don’t mine your data or monitor your communications. Own your conversations Choose where to host your data - from any public server (the largest free server is matrix.org, but there are plenty of others to choose from) to creating your own personal server and hosting it on your own domain. This ability to choose a server is a large part of what differentiates us from other real time communication apps. However you host, you have ownership; it’s your data. You’re not the product. You’re in control. Communicate in real time, all the time Use Element everywhere. Stay in touch wherever you are with fully synchronised message history across all your devices, including on the web at https://app.element.io Element X is our next-generation app If you’re using the previous-generation Element Classic app, it’s time to try Element X! It’s faster, easier to use, and more powerful than the classic app. It’s better in every way and we’re adding new features all the time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Element X at 3.5 against TurboIRC 3's 3.1. Element X also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). TurboIRC 3's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 18.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Element X holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 164 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of TurboIRC 3's written reviews are positive against 39% of Element X's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
TurboIRC 3 ships an update every 6 weeks, Element X fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TurboIRC 3 | Element X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (56 ratings) | 3.5 (164 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews — better | 38.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 56 | 164 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 18.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 341 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Michael Chourdakis | Vector Creations Limited |
Customer experience
TurboIRC 3
Element X
In-app purchases
TurboIRC 3
No in-app purchases
Element X
No in-app purchases
