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Pidgin vs Srain: catalog facts
Pidgin	Srain
Free Free and open source under the GPL. The project states it is free and contains no ads.	Free Free and open source, funded through Open Collective donations.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Signs in to several chat networks at once from one window XMPP, IRC, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE and Zephyr built in	Chat-app style interface for IRC Native GTK application
The interface is unmistakably from another era Support for modern commercial networks depends on plugins that break when APIs change	IRC only, no other chat protocols Small project with occasional releases
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-3.0
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 October 2, 2026

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