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Halloy vs Pidgin: catalog facts
Halloy	Pidgin
Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 licence.	Free Free and open source under the GPL. The project states it is free and contains no ads.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Broad IRCv3 support including chathistory and soju bouncer features Native cross-platform app from one codebase	Signs in to several chat networks at once from one window XMPP, IRC, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE and Zephyr built in
Configuration is done by editing a text file IRC only; no other chat protocols	The interface is unmistakably from another era Support for modern commercial networks depends on plugins that break when APIs change
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.