The Lounge Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

The Lounge hosting on xCloud lets you deploy The Lounge, a modern, self-hosted web IRC client that stays connected to IRC while you are away, on your own domain. xCloud runs the pinned official image with a private administrator account, keeps users, networks, SQLite history and uploads on one persistent volume and publishes it over HTTPS. IRC connections are outbound only, and public sign-up is not offered.

Deploy your The Lounge

No terminal
No technical skills needed
No lock-in, cancel anytime

What is The Lounge?

The Lounge is a modern, responsive, cross-platform, self-hosted web IRC client and the official, community-managed fork of Shout. It stays connected to IRC servers while you are offline, supports push notifications and link previews, marks where new messages begin and lets you resume on any device where you left off. A self-hosted The Lounge is a web IRC client on your own server, in place of a hosted service such as IRCCloud. It is MIT licensed.

On xCloud it is The Lounge 4.5.2, the official image pinned by digest, as one container in private mode with the administrator account created at install. The the_lounge_data volume holds users, IRC network settings, SQLite message history, logs, uploads and configuration. Only the web interface is published, and IRC connections are made outbound from the server.

From Sign-Up to a Live IRC Client In Just 3 Easy Steps

Self-hosting an always-on IRC client normally means a server, a process manager, a domain and a certificate before you can join a single channel. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

Step 01
Sign Up
Create your xCloud account and pick The Lounge from the OneClick catalog. Choose your site title, domain and target server, and keep the default administrator username or set your own.
Step 02
We Deploy It For You
One click. We bring up the official The Lounge 4.5.2 image, pinned by immutable digest, mount the the_lounge_data volume, create the initial private-mode administrator account, and publish it over HTTPS on your domain.
Step 03
Sign In And Join A Channel
Open the generated HTTPS URL and sign in with the administrator credentials shown by xCloud. Add an IRC network and join a channel to confirm it stays connected in the background.

Everything The Lounge Does, On Your Own Server

The Lounge runs in full here — always-on connections, multi-device access and channel history, on infrastructure you control.

Always-On IRC Connections
Stay connected to your IRC networks in the background, instead of losing channel history every time a desktop client closes.
Browser-Based Access
Sign in from any modern browser — no desktop or mobile IRC client to install or keep updated.
Persistent Networks And Channels
Network configuration and joined channels stay set up on the server, ready the moment you sign back in.
Private-Mode Administrator Account
Start in private mode with a generated administrator account, not an open public instance.
Message History And Logs
Logs, uploads and message history persist alongside your account and configuration on the same volume.
Return From Different Devices
Pick a conversation back up from a laptop, phone or a different browser without reconfiguring anything.

Everything You Need To Run Your IRC Client 24/7

Managed hosting for The Lounge, so the parts that keep it online are not your problem.

The Lounge 4.5.2 deployed instantly
Official pinned image digest
Administrator account generated for you
Container port stays localhost-bound
Free SSL certificate
Server backups and snapshots
Server security updates included
30+ server locations
Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With The Lounge

Stay on IRC without leaving a client open
Keep your connections and channels alive on the server, so you read what was said while you were away when you open the page.
Pick up the same session on every device
Open the same account on a laptop, phone or tablet and continue from where you left off, with new-message markers showing what you missed.
Get push notifications from IRC
Use The Lounge's push notifications, so you notice a new message that needs an answer without watching the window.
Keep message history on your own server
Store logs and SQLite history in your own volume instead of a hosted IRC service, so your conversation record is yours to search and back up.

The Lounge vs Alternatives

IRCCloud: IRCCloud is a hosted web IRC service. The Lounge is a client you run yourself, with connections, history and uploads stored in your own volume and a private administrator account.
Convos: Convos has its own OneClick page. In The Lounge vs Convos comparison, The Lounge is the Shout-derived web client with link previews, push notifications and new-message markers.
ZNC: ZNC has its own OneClick page. It is an IRC bouncer that keeps you connected for another client; The Lounge combines the always-connected behaviour with its own web interface.
Ergo: Ergo has its own OneClick page. It is an IRC server rather than a client, so you can run an Ergo network and use The Lounge as the web client for it.

Simple Pricing. Everything Included.

Dedicated Cloud VPS sizes, pre-configured for The Lounge. Pick the one that fits, and resize any time.

Cloud VPS 6 GB

Cloud VPS 16 GB

More headroom for larger channel history and more networks.

$59.99per month

16 GB RAM
6 vCPU cores
200 GB NVMe SSD
30 TB
Unlimited

Get started

Cloud VPS 24 GB

The Lounge alongside a larger self-hosted stack.

$84.99per month

24 GB RAM
8 vCPU cores
300 GB NVMe SSD
30 TB
Unlimited

Get started

Every size is a dedicated Cloud VPS we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Billed monthly with no lock-in — delete the server and the unused balance comes back to your account. The Lounge itself is free under the MIT licence.

Docker hosting

Already Have a Server? Bring Your Own

Connect any VPS — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Hetzner or bare metal — and deploy The Lounge on it through the same panel, for a per-server management fee instead of a Cloud VPS rental.

Free

Start your journey without cost.

$0forever

1 server
10 sites

Start free

Starter

Professional

The same platform, discounted at 6–10 servers.

$4per server / month

6–10 servers
Unlimited sites
All features included
Bring any VPS provider

Get started

Agency

The same platform, discounted at 11+ servers.

$3per server / month

11+ servers
Unlimited sites
All features included
Bring any VPS provider

Get started

Priced per connected server, so your rate adjusts automatically as you add or remove servers. You pay your own provider for the server itself.

Self-managed hosting

Ready To Run Your Own IRC Client?

The Lounge on xCloud runs on a dedicated Cloud VPS that we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Deploy faster. Own the server. Stay in control.

Fast Provisioning
Deploy faster using an xCloud Managed Server built with optimized stacks and high-speed SSDs.
Enterprise-grade security
Protect your infrastructure with a free SSL certificate and more advanced security features at no additional cost.
Intuitive Control Panel
From Server creation to application deployment, everything can be managed from our intuitive control panel.

Hear what people are saying about us

See why agencies, developers, startups, and growing businesses choose xCloud to power their projects.

xCloud works really well, I am surprised by its performance being this the release version, I have tried many paid platforms such as runcloud, cloudpages or serveravatar, as well as free platforms such as CyberPanel, CloudPanel or Hestia Control Panel and direct competitors such as SpinupWP and FlyWP. Of all those that I have tried, the platform that works best for WordPress is SpinupWP and I believe that xCloud can reach and surpass that development, its roadmap is promising. Congratulations to the xCloud team, I hope they become the leading platform in the segment, it has all the potential to achieve it!

Brian Geovanny

I've been with runcloud for the last 3 years. However, after trying xcloud for the last month, I'm switching over. They are on a roll with their setup.

Kevin Pineda

I'm moving my servers to xCloud, a cloud control panel by M Asif Rahman and the WPDeveloper team. Their roadmap looks interesting and no, there are no team mates nor API limits with xCloud! #xCloud #wordpress #hosting

Leo Koo

How Cloud Nine Web Elevated Client Experience While Streamlining Hosting Operations using xCloud

Ed Ellingham

xCloud is like having an expert server team on call — without the big agency costs. It's given me back my time and given my clients peace of mind. Highly recommended for freelancers and small teams who want reliable performance and security.

Dumitru Butucel

xCloud isn't just a solution. It's like one of that friend who got your back when you screw things up pretty bad.

Waqar Ahmed

Trust me when I say, once people explore the potential of xCloud they gonna switch from other panels, just keep delivering the best tech, lots of love for the team 😍😍

Rahul Singh

So far my experience has been smooth like silk. I didn't imagine that configuring and managing a VPS would be so easy. As of today, I have deployed 8 sites. The support is good, and they treat users with respect, even if they ask stupid questions (myself included). For the future, I hope for greater flexibility in scheduled backups and more comprehensive and consistent documentation. I'm sure that within a few months, xCloud will become the leader in its segment. This community is amazing, and the Staff here is super helpful.

Massimo Villa

Came from cloudways then to runcloud then to xcloud. Looks like I'm staying here.

Gerson El

I've recently taken all of my Vultr-hosted sites and gotten rid of cPanel for them to substitute it with xCloud. I have to say, I'm really impressed with xCloud so far! The interface is definitely the standout feature for me.

Tony Lewis

I came from Cloudways and won't go back. Highly impressed with xCloud. Glad I gave them a chance.

Jared McDowell

I like xCloud better than RunCloud, but one thing I'll point out is that some years ago RunCloud was hungry for business, the support was outstanding, and the community was active and helped each other. Maybe it was sold, there was a change in management, or they stopped being hungry, but the quality of the RunCloud offering declined and it hasn't been moving forward quickly. My point is that currently the xCloud team has the edge and it is theirs to keep or lose

David McCan

How Kevin Heinrichs Cut Hosting Costs by 84% While Running WooCommerce & Node.js Sites Efficiently

Kevin Heinrichs

I had 150 sites on cloudways and am in the process of moving them to xcloud. Much faster and better priced.

Dan Spinoza

Dear xCloud Team, I have been using xCloud for some time now and am genuinely impressed with its capabilities and the flexibility it offers by allowing users to bring their own VPS for management. It's a fantastic service, and my experience so far has been very positive. Successful migrated 5 sites on a single server. Xcloud migration tool worked great. There were few hiccups with security plugin like MalCare but disabling the plugin prior to migration worked just fine.

Rahil Maknojia

Came from runcloud. Tried xcloud and never came back.

Karl Fanega

How Advanced Web Strategies Saved Over $2,000 & Recovered 56 Hours per Month Managing 70+ Client Websites

Gary Moody

xCloud gave me what no other hosting platform could: the flexibility of a VPS with the convenience of managed WordPress. As a solo founder running an entire business on one server, that combination is an important unfair advantage.

Jorge de los Reyes Martínez

I use Server Avatar and xCloud and I'll sooner use xCloud than Server Avatar personally.

Jay Pagano

How Newman Web Solutions Ensured Perfect Uptime and Seamless Scaling For 120+ WordPress Sites with xCloud

Lori Newman

I too have moved over to xCloud. It's pretty sweet. One click n8n and uptime Kuma apps

John Aperture

I went from Cloudways to xCloud. No intention on switching in the foreseeable future.

Blaine Moore

Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

How much RAM does The Lounge need?

The Lounge needs at least 1024 MB of RAM, 1 CPU core and 10 GB of disk per its template. The 6 GB plan leaves headroom above that floor; history, logs and uploads grow the disk.

Can you self-host The Lounge with Docker?

Yes, and this template is the lounge docker hosting without the setup: the official image pinned by digest, one the_lounge_data volume, a private administrator account and HTTPS on your own domain, with only the web interface published.

Does The Lounge stay connected to IRC when I am offline?

Yes. Upstream keeps connections to IRC servers alive while you are away and synchronises channels and history across devices. The connections are made outbound from your server, so no IRC listener is exposed.

Who can sign in to The Lounge?

Only the accounts that exist. xCloud creates the administrator in private mode from the username and password you set at install, and public sign-up is not offered. Share the credentials only with people you trust.

How do I reset The Lounge password?

Use the official thelounge reset command inside the running container for your user, then restart the app. The administrator account, networks, settings and history all live together in the data volume.

Is The Lounge an alternative to IRCCloud?

For a web IRC client that stays connected, yes. Upstream describes an always-connected, self-hosted client and makes no comparison with IRCCloud. You run the server and backups, and you manage your IRC network accounts.

Is The Lounge free?

Yes. The Lounge is MIT licensed with no fee for the client. The Cloud VPS is the one cost, making this a The Lounge cloud install whose message history stays on your server.

How do I back up The Lounge?

Back up the complete the_lounge_data volume as one unit. It holds users, IRC network settings, SQLite message history, logs, uploads and the configuration. Restore the whole volume together before starting the same pinned image.

Backup and restore Docker apps

How do I upgrade The Lounge?

The Lounge stays on its pinned 4.5.2 image until a newer template version is adopted. Copy the data volume beforehand and check the release notes. Upgrades never run on their own.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. There is no lock-in — cancel any time. Hosting is billed monthly and charged for what you actually use, so when you delete the server the unused balance is refunded to your account, less up to 10% in payment-processing fees.