Kaidan
A Qt-based XMPP chat client for desktop and mobile, part of the KDE community.
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1 more ways to get Kaidan
Package managers
- Flathub
flatpak install flathub im.kaidan.kaidan
About Kaidan
Kaidan is an instant messenger for the open XMPP (Jabber) protocol, so you can use any compatible server rather than one company's service. It supports end-to-end encrypted messages, group chats, file sharing, and audio and video messages. Recent releases added audio and video calls, an integrated search field, a media viewer and registration provider filtering.
The developers say plainly that Kaidan does not yet have every basic feature and still has some stability issues. It suits people who want a simple, modern XMPP client and don't mind a project still in active development.
Strengths
- Works with any XMPP server instead of a single provider
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Audio and video messages, calls and file sharing
- Regular releases, most recently 0.16.0 in July 2026
Limitations
- Developers note it still lacks some basic features
- Has known stability issues
- Needs an account on an XMPP server
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree to download and use; developed within the KDE community.
- License
- Open source, license not stated
- Developer
- Kaidan Team
- Platforms
- Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Required
- Works offline
- No
- Best suited for
- People who want a simple, modern XMPP client not tied to one service provider
- Categories
- Messaging
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Kaidan
Compare allSoftware that can replace Kaidan for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Gajim
A desktop chat client for the XMPP network with end-to-end encryption, group chats and file sharing.
Gajim is a full-featured desktop XMPP client for Windows and Linux with OMEMO and OpenPGP encryption, reactions and voice messages, and regular releases.
Dino
Modern desktop XMPP client with OMEMO encryption and calls.
Dino is a modern Linux XMPP client with OMEMO encryption, calls and file transfer, and is more feature-complete than Kaidan's current state.
Conversations
Android XMPP client with OMEMO end-to-end encryption.
Conversations is an Android XMPP client with a mature OMEMO implementation; it is paid on Google Play but free builds exist on F-Droid.
Monal
An open-source XMPP chat client for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Monal is an open-source XMPP client for iPhone, iPad and Mac with multiple account support, moving you to Apple platforms instead of Linux.
Psi
A Qt-based desktop XMPP client for experienced users, with plugins for OMEMO, OTR and OpenPGP encryption.
Psi is a Qt-based desktop XMPP client aimed at experienced users, with OMEMO, OTR and OpenPGP via plugins, though its last tagged release dates from 2020.
Profanity
A console-based XMPP chat client written in C with OMEMO, OTR and PGP encryption.
Profanity is a console XMPP client with OMEMO, OTR and PGP encryption and plugins, replacing Kaidan's graphical interface with a terminal.
Movim
A self-hostable web client for XMPP that combines chat, group rooms, news feeds and video calls.
Movim is a self-hostable web XMPP client that adds news feeds and video calls in the browser, usable through public instances or your own server.
Converse
An open-source XMPP chat client that runs in the web browser, as a full app or embedded widget.
Converse is an open-source browser-based XMPP client with OMEMO encryption that can run as a full-page app or be embedded in a website.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Prosody
A lightweight open-source XMPP chat server written in Lua that you run yourself.
Snikket
A self-hosted XMPP messaging service with apps, built for families, friends and small groups.
ejabberd
An open-source XMPP server, MQTT broker and SIP service written in Erlang.
Openfire
An open-source XMPP chat server you host yourself, administered through a web console.
Cheogram
An Android XMPP client that links chat with phone numbers, SMS and calls through pluggable routes.
Pidgin
A chat client that signs in to several networks at once, supporting XMPP, IRC, Matrix and more through plugins.
