Pidgin Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Pidgin for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is Element. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Element or Matrix. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Pidgin and loads of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Pidgin are Jami, Beeper, SeaMonkey and Trillian.

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Alternatives list

  1. Gajim icon

    Gajim

     68 likes

    The goal of Gajim is to provide a full featured and easy to use XMPP client. Gajim works nicely with GNOME, but does not require it to run. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

    63 Gajim alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Xfce
    • Flathub
    Gajim tabbed chat
     
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    2
    Gajim vs Pidgin Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    3

    It's a Jabber client only, not a multi-protocol / multi-channel chat client. Similar to Pidgin on it's root purpose can only by another multi-protocol client. Gajim is not.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    Supports more XMPP features and has it already integrated in the base.

    Pidgin needs a lot of plugin to have a similar support for features.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Gajim is Free and Open SourcePidgin is also Free and Open Source
    • Gajim is Privacy focusedPidgin is not according to our users
  2. Kopete icon

    Kopete

     72 likes

    Kopete is an instant messenger supporting AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, Novell GroupWise Messenger, and more. It is designed to be a flexible and extensible multi-protocol system suitable for personal and enterprise use.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Kopete screenshot 1
     
  5. nheko icon

    nheko

     5 likes

    Matrix-focused desktop chat client supporting secure end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calling, file sharing, emoji, room and community management, multi-theme interface, presence/status, notifications, profiles, and plugin integration for Unix.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Chat
     
  6. Kaidan icon

    Kaidan

     4 likes

    Kaidan is a simple, user-friendly Jabber/XMPP client providing a modern user interface using Kirigami and QtQuick. The back-end of Kaidan is written in C++ using the QXmpp XMPP client library and Qt 5.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    • Ubuntu Touch
    • Plasma Mobile
    • Flathub
    Kaidan screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Kaidan vs Pidgin Comments
    riveravaldez
    Positive
    0

    Modern interface for XMPP communications. Implements OMEMO:2. Works fine.

    • Kaidan is Free and Open SourcePidgin is also Free and Open Source
  7. Finch icon

    Finch

     21 likes

    Finch is a console-based IM program that lets you sign on to AIM, Jabber, MSN, IRC, Yahoo!, and other IM networks. It runs on Unixes. It uses GLib and ncurses.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Xfce
    Finch screenshot 1
     
  9. Utopia icon

    Utopia

     196 likes

    Utopia P2P Ecosystem. Utopia is a feature-rich platform that is specifically designed to protect privacy of communication, confidentiality, and security of personal data. Utopia is a decentralized network, with no central server involved in data transmission or storage.

    52 Utopia alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Take advantage of uMail - a secure alternative to classic email.
     
  10. Instantbird icon

    Instantbird

     42 likes

    Instantbird is an instant messaging client based on Mozilla XULRunner and the open source library libpurple created by the software developers of Pidgin . Over 250 add-ons allow user customization of, and addition of, features.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    Overall look and feel - Windows
     
  11. J

    Jami Commander

     1 like

    jami-commander (jc for short) is a simple but convenient CLI-based Jami client app for setting up accounts and swarms as well as sending.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  12. Ergo icon

    Ergo

     Like

    Ergo (formerly known as Oragono) is a modern IRC server written in Go. Its core design principles are:

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • FreeBSD
    • Docker
    • OpenBSD
     
  13. qutIM icon

    qutIM

     27 likes

    qutIM - free open-source multiprotocol ( ICQ, Jabber/GTalk/Ya.Online/LiveJournal.com, Mail.Ru, IRC )

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Symbian S60
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Chat Window
     
  14. BitlBee icon

    BitlBee

     11 likes

    BitlBee brings IM (instant messaging) to IRC clients. It's a great solution for people who have an IRC client running all the time and don't want to run an additional MSN/AIM/whatever client.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    BitlBee in irssi inside screen.
     
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