Compare software

Pidgin vs Irssi: catalog facts
Pidgin	Irssi
Free Free and open source under the GPL. The project states it is free and contains no ads.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS, Linux, Command line
Signs in to several chat networks at once from one window XMPP, IRC, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE and Zephyr built in	Runs in any terminal, including over SSH Scriptable and highly configurable
The interface is unmistakably from another era Support for modern commercial networks depends on plugins that break when APIs change	Keyboard and command driven, with a learning curve IRC only, no other chat protocols
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0
Account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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