Halloy is an open-source IRC client written in Rust, with the Iced GUI library. It aims to provide a simple and fast client for Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms.
Publisher’s description
What is Halloy?
Halloy is an open-source chat & messaging program for Windows from Squidowl. It is written in Rust. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2026.9.0, released on October 1, 2026. 32 versions are listed since April 5, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 13 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (squidowl/halloy) has 4,558 stars. Similar programs include Signal, Telegram Desktop and Slack.
Project description on GitHub: “IRC application written in Rust”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 13 a year)
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Halloy is an open-source chat & messaging tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Halloy safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
06FC514DE697A378E9A3E8A8280B5F76045AE1DDD0F8E83D4CC4771C08501B1A· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 32 versions ›32 versions over 2 years · about 13 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026.9.0Latest | October 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.8.0 | July 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.7.2 | June 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 2026.7.1 | June 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2026.7.0 | May 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2026.6.0 | April 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2026.5.0 | March 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 2026.4.0 | February 25, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id squidowl.halloy -ehalloy-installer.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.squidowl.halloyInformation
- Publisher
- Squidowl
- Category
- Chat & messaging
- Licence
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/squidowl/halloy
- Written in
- Rust
- Content rating
- 10+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 2026.9.0
- Released
- October 1, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- April 15, 2024
- Versions listed
- 32
- Updates / year
- 12.9
- GitHub stars
- 4,558
- GitHub forks
- 221
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- squidowl.halloy
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Halloy free?
Yes. Halloy is open-source software under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.
Is Halloy safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Halloy with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Halloy be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Halloy run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Halloy?
The versions page lists all 32 versions with links to their official installer files, back to April 5, 2024.
Can I use Halloy without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Halloy?
Signal, Telegram Desktop, Slack, Discord and Rocket.Chat. The alternatives page compares them.