date: 2019-01-14T18:51:58.000Z
lastmod: 2020-01-14T05:00:21.000Z
- developer.pidgin.im/wiki/WikiStart
Pidgin is a chat program which lets you log into accounts on multiple chat
networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on
XMPP and sitting in an IRC channel at the same time.
Pidgin runs on Windows, Linux, and other UNIX-like operating systems. Looking
for Pidgin for macOS? Try [
Adium](
https://adium.im)!
Pidgin is compatible with the following chat networks out of the box:
Jabber/XMPP, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, Lotus
Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, and Zephyr. It can support many more with
[
plugins](
{{< ref "plugins" >}}).
Pidgin supports many features of these chat networks, such as file transfers,
away messages, buddy icons, custom smileys, and typing notifications. Numerous
plugins also extend Pidgin's functionality above and beyond the standard
Pidgin is under constant development. Releases are usually frequent and driven
by user contributions, such as
[
issues](
https://issues.imfreedom.org/issues/PIDGIN?u=1) and
[
contributions](
{{< ref "development/contributing" >}}).
Pidgin is free and contains no ads. All our code is open source and licensed
under the GNU General Public License. This means you can get Pidgin's underlying
code and modify it to suit your needs, as long as you publish the changes you
make for everyone to benefit from as well.
Pidgin is translated into many [
different languages](
{{< ref"about/supported-languages" >}}), thanks to the generous contributions of our
