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IceChat vs Pidgin: catalog facts
IceChat	Pidgin
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the GPL. The project states it is free and contains no ads.
Windows	Windows, macOS, Linux
Multi-server and multi-channel support with a server tree Aliases, popups and themes for customization	Signs in to several chat networks at once from one window XMPP, IRC, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE and Zephyr built in
Windows only IRC is unencrypted unless the server supports TLS	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-2.0-or-later	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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