Best Free Instant Messaging Client [1]

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Introduction

If you're like me, then you probably have friends and family using a variety of IM networks. One way to talk with people on each one of these networks, is to open an account for each and then download and install each IM client on your computer.

However, running four different IM applications on your computer uses a lot of system resources, is difficult to manage, and broadens your attack surface. Therefore, I would recommend using a multi-protocol IM client. These applications not only allow you to connect to multiple IM networks, but they are also advertisement free, more secure, and have features that allow you to easily manage your various IM accounts.

All IM clients reviewed in this article have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and I'm certain there are users who will remain faithful to each.

Discussion

Software Clients

[3]Over the years there have been many different multi-protocol IM clients that have been developed and many have grown. However, for the average user, I would still recommend Pidgin (formerly Gaim). It is still the simplest to use and has a very clean design that does not seem like it’s from the XP era. Currently it supports AIM, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MXit, MySpaceIM, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Yahoo!, and Zephyr. It also supports Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Although development has not been as bullish as it used to be, it still provides a simple yet elegant design with lot of functionality. There also has been a constant update to fix bugs and security issues. The program is completely ad free and provides various plugins that one can add to the program such as Guifications [4] and SkypeIM [5] support.

But like any program there are still some limitations. One of the major drawbacks is that there is no support for voice or video. However if you are looking for a simple open- source multi-protocol IM program, Pidgin is for you.

If you are someone who loves to customize and tweak, Miranda IM may be the client for you. It has the most intensive set of plugins and customizations that I have ever seen. It also can be customized to support almost every protocol out there. The interface that comes with the native program is very minimalistic, however with some skins (like the one on the left) the interface can look great. Currently it supports AIM, Facebook chat, Gadu-Gadu, IAX, ICQ, IRC, Jabber, MSN, Netsend, Tlen, Yahoo, and much more. With the added flexibility of this program, the preference menu isn’t the friendliest. The amount of options they provide you makes the program a little too complicated for the average user. There are many options that the average user most likely won't touch, but with the large amounts of options the program is somewhat overwhelming.

If you want something that has more design, Trillian might be the option for you. Trillian has indeed evolved over the years into something quite beautiful. It perhaps has the most eye candy out of all the IM clients that have been mentions (excluding if you can figure out how to theme Miranda IM). Although it does not seem to support as many platforms as pidgin and Miranda IM do, it still supports some pretty unique ones such as LinkedIn and Foursquare. With support for LinkedIn, Foursquare, Facebook, and Twitter, the program allows you to update your status of these site through Trillian. It also supports a wide range of operating systems (Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Web). The installer does come bundled with other software such as winzip and a Trillian toolbar, in which you can opt out of (Trillian 5.1 Build 18 Free). Just remember to press “no thanks” for software you do not want. Trillian also has Ads that pop up within your conversation list telling you to upgrade to their pro version, which is kind of an annoyance also.

Digsby is another option out there for you. However, due to its WOT rating and history it is hard to recommend this client. At some point in time Digsby offered various adware/spyware in their installer in order to keep the client free of charge to its customers. With this scandal, it has seriously damaged its reputation as a company. Even though the Digsby client today seems to have not included any spyware or adware in its installer, they do still have ads within their IM windows (which you can disable in the preferences by unchecking support Digsby). Many people have also become quite skeptical of their practices and have since boycotted their program completely. With that being said, it is still a decent client. I myself have used it for a period of time. If you do decide that this program is for you, a word of advice, proceed with caution. For now there will be no review on this client due to its WOT rating.

Web Client

In light of recent events, Google has acquired Meebo so it is effectively shutting down on July 11th, 2012. For those who are looking for Web Clients, there are plenty of alternatives out there that provide you with the same type of support. Ebuddy is another web client that support the basic MSN, Yahoo, AIM, G-talk, Facebook, ICQ, and MySpace Protocols. Not only is Ebuddy a web client, it is also avaliable on various mobile devices such as the iPhone, Android, and other mobile devices.

Another alternative to Ebuddy is imo. imo is similar to Ebuddy in that it is both a mobile instant messanging client and a web client. However, imo supports far more protocols than Ebuddy. Along with the protocols supported by Ebuddy it also supports steam, skype, Jabber, VKontakte, and Hyves.