User interface is pretty clunky and hard to navigate.Has more chat client support (Supports Steam).Pidgin is Open-source (Free and Customizable).Information shown like previous chat logs and timestamps are available options, to me however this is where pidgin fall short compared to trillian the UI is just too clunky and in many instances takes a considerable amount of tweaking to adjust. Messaging within pidgin has a similar visual appearance, however can be tweaked quite easily as well.

Here is an example of the default UI within pidgin: The interface of pidgin is a bit simpler, however with a bit of tweaking it is possible to modify it quite heavily. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are really only two clients that handle multiple services and plug-ins as well as offer a hassle-free interface.Īn open-source systems client that runs on both Windows and Linux, Pidgin supports the largest amounts of services out of all of the instant messaging clients, has plenty of useful plug-ins and can be tweaked and modified in endless amounts of ways since the source code is open. I have used multiple IM clients that allow integration of many different services, the most popular being: AOL Instant Messenger, MSN, Google talk, Skype, Yahoo Instant Messenger, IRC, and social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter. The ability to send messages, check e-mails, and teleconference in an efficient manner will free up time and allow you to complete multiple tasks quicker. Having an easy to use and navigate Instant Messenger desktop client that can support multiple protocols is a vital business tool in today’s environment.

Trillian and Pidgin are both mulch-client instant messaging desktop applications that allow you to do many functions with one desktop app.

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