# Pidgin review (2026): is it any good? > Desktop chat client that connects to many chat networks at once Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Pidgin is a free, open-source chat program that lets you log in to accounts on several chat networks at the same time, such as XMPP and IRC. It is a client for existing networks rather than a hosted team workspace. Plugins extend it, and it has no ads. - **Category:** Team Communication - **Made by:** Pidgin - **Website:** https://pidgin.im - **Runs on:** Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a phone app, as none is listed. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Pidgin is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Free, open source under the GNU General Public License, with no ads. Donations are accepted. | Read from https://pidgin.im/about/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Pidgin before buying. ## Key features - **Several networks in one window:** Out of the box it works with Jabber/XMPP, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, GroupWise Messenger, Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE and Zephyr. - **Plugins for more protocols:** Plugins add support for further chat networks and extend what the client can do. - **Chat network features:** Supports file transfers, away messages, buddy icons, custom smileys and typing notifications where the network offers them. - **Open source, no ads:** The code is licensed under the GNU General Public License and the program contains no advertising. ## Good for - People who already use XMPP or IRC and want one client - Users who want a free, ad-free desktop chat program ## Worth knowing - It is a desktop client only: no hosted workspace, mobile app or browser version is listed. - The vendor says it runs on Windows, Linux, BSD and other UNIX-like systems; for macOS it points to Adium instead. - Linux builds are not provided by the project; it recommends installing from the distribution's package manager. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Pidgin is a desktop chat program that logs into several networks at once, such as XMPP and IRC. It is free and has no ads. It is only a client, though: there is no phone app, no browser version, no hosted workspace, and the Mac version is left to Adium. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source under the GPL, with no ads. A program anyone can download and run. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no paid tier and no cap. Donations are accepted. - **Features: C.** Handles several accounts in one window and adds more through plugins. It is a client for other people's networks, so it does a smaller job than a workspace. - **Ease of use: C.** No rating on record. You add and set up each chat account yourself before it does anything. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows and Linux only. No Mac build from the project, no mobile app and no web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Pidgin's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among team communication apps - Pidgin's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 49 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 10. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 60 of 75) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 0). - Pidgin has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/team-chat ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Pidgin is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. - You could not: Chat that a whole team counts on staying up. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: It plugs into other products, XMPP, IRC and Bonjour among them. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with XMPP, IRC, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise Messenger, Sametime, SILC, Zephyr **Tags:** Team chat, Open source, File sharing ## Alternatives - [Jami](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jami): Peer-to-peer encrypted chat, calls and video conferences. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jami-vs-pidgin) - [Matrix](https://toolgpa.com/tools/matrix): Open, decentralized network for chat and calls. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/matrix-vs-pidgin) - [Element](https://toolgpa.com/tools/element): End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/element-vs-pidgin) - [Openfire](https://toolgpa.com/tools/openfire): Open-source XMPP chat server you run on your own hardware. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openfire-vs-pidgin) - [ejabberd](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ejabberd): Erlang messaging server for XMPP, MQTT, SIP and Matrix. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/ejabberd-vs-pidgin) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://pidgin.im - https://pidgin.im/about/ - https://pidgin.im/install/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/pidgin Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).