28 Open-source free XMPP clients and messengers for Windows, macOS, Linux, Mobile, and the Web
What is XAMPP?
XMPP which stands for Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol is an open-source XML technology for communication. It is the core for audio calls, video calls, online presence, multi-party or multi-user (MUC) chat, and, of course, instant messaging.
Why do you need a XAMPP client?
Many companies, teams, user groups, and even individuals use XMPP-based services for communication in their daily life. So, the XMPP client is essential on your desktop operating system, mobile phone, tablet, and even browser.
Who uses XMPP servers and clients?
XMPP clients are used by individuals to communicate with friends and families. They are also used by professionals like freelancers to message and share work assets and related documents with their customers.
XMPP in education
Many schools, uses XMPP servers, to connect students and teachers in virtual classrooms, and multi-user group chats. It is also used to create virtual teachers, students communities.
Afterward, the end-users which may be a student or a teacher are required to have or install their XMPP client to engage with his classmates, teachers, and the groups.
XMPP in enterprise communication and messaging.
An enterprise such as the healthcare sector, legal firms, accounting, and customer support, uses XMPP to improve their service and provide a seamless stable means of communication for active teams and personnel.
Like the education case, the enterprise set up the XMPP/ Jabber server, and the user chooses to use the official or recommended XMPP client or set up his own.
XMPP Security and privacy
Most XMPP/ Jabber clients and messengers come with secure end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Some others take the security to the next level by adding more encryption and security layers to maintain users' privacy.
Although we will not go through the whole feature list for clients and apps listed here, we wrote some articles that can narrow your search for private and secure messengers.
Best open-source XMPP clients
In this article, we provide the best open-source XMPP/ Jabber clients for desktop devices such as Linux, Windows, and macOS, as for the web as a self-hosted solution, and mobile devices (iOS/ Android).
1- Pandion
Pandion is a free, lightweight XMPP/ Jabber client for Windows. Although it has not been updated for years, it is the primary XMPP client for many Windows users.
2- Adium for macOS
Adium is a multi-network, multiprotocol instant messaging app for macOS. It supports XMPP, Google Talk, IRC, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo messaging services.
Beyond its impressive features, it works seamlessly with the macOS Contacts app.
It also can combine many contacts into one, which is a handy feature.
Adium supports group chat, file attachments, secure file transfer, profile customization, and it is translated into 27 languages.Adium is an open-source project that is released under GUN GPL.
3- Movim
Movim is more than an XMPP client, it is a complete social network built over XMPP standards. It has its client but works also with other XMPP clients like Dino.
4- Dino
Dino is yet another open-source XMPP/ Jabber client for Linux systems. It comes with end-to-end encryption via OMEMO or OpenPGP.
Dino supports group chat, file attachments, and comes with a built-in image viewer.
Hamza Musa
5-Monal
Monal is an impressive XMPP client for macOS and iOS systems. Any user can download the app for their iPhone, iPads, or MacBook. It may look basic, simple, but it does the job.
6-Conversations
Conversations is an open-source XMPP/Jabber client for Android systems. It is released under GPL-3.0 License. It does not require any Google account or Google Cloud Messaging service (DCM).
7-Jitsi
Jitsi is an audio/video and chat communicator that supports protocols such as SIP, XMPP/Jabber, IRC, and many other useful features.
8- BeagleIM
BeagleIM is a free, open-source, native XMPP client for macOS. It supports the native macOS dark mode which was introduced in macOS Mojave.
BeagleIM features include writing messages in Markdown format, embedded image viewer, group chat, and comes with OMEMO end-to-end encryption.
9- Gaijm
Gaijm is an instant messaging application for decentralized messaging over XMPP. It supports multiple clients, profiles, history, status updates, and comes with end-to-end encryption.
Gaijin is extensible with dozens of useful plugins such as Wikipedia, Wiktionary integrations, automatic spell-checking, and more. The project is an open-source app and supports 29 languages.
It is still in active development.Gaijm is available to download for Windows and Linux. However, for macOS, you will need to build it from the source.
10- Psi
Psi is a multi-platform, free XMPP/ Jabber client that comes with dozens of useful features and a straightforward interface.
Currently, Psi supports Microsoft Windows (64 and 32-bit), as well as macOS.
11- Siskin IM
Siskin IM by Tigase, Inc. is a lightweight and powerful XMPP client for macOS and iOS for iPhone and iPad. It has a clear interface with many themes.Users can download it for free from Apple App Store, and note it does not contain any locked feature or in-app purchase.
12- Swift XMPP client
Swift XMPP client is a feature-rich XMPP and Jabber client that is suitable for a single user and multiple users.
It is powered by Swiften C++ SDK which has proven secure and reliable.
13- Coccinella
Coccinella is a secure XMPP client aiming for education and schools. It comes with a built-in whiteboard and a drawing board for students.
Although the project has not been updated for more than 10 years, it is used by many users.Coccinella works for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
14- Pidgin
Pidgin is a modular multi-platform, multiprotocol instant messenger for Linux, Windows, and macOS.Pidgin has a vast community that supports and push many plugins and extensions over the years. It is free and open-source.However, for macOS users, it is recommended to use Adium as an open-source, native alternative.
15- ChatSecure
ChatSecure is a native, free, open-source XMPP client for iOS systems that work smoothly for iPad and iPhone devices.
ChatSecure uses several encryption and security protocols to make sure the user gets the privacy and security he/ she deserves.
16- UWPX
is a secure and Open Source XMPP app for all your UWP (Windows 10) devices created and managed by COM8. Licensed under Mozilla Public License 2.0.
UWPX comes with several themes and customizations. It comes with TLS 1.2 and OMEMO encryption support, multi-user chat (MUC), emojis, search, HTTP file upload, and a built-in image viewer.
17- Kaidan
Kaidan is a free, open-source Jabber/ XMPP client for Linux.
Beyond text messaging, it also supports audio and video messages, secure file sharing, contacts list, desktop notification, built-in search, and emojis.
18- Profanity;
Profanity is a console-based XMPP application for Linux, FreeBSD, OSX, Windows, and Android. It supports MUC chat rooms, OTR/ PGP/ OMEMO encryption, desktop notification, and roster management.
Profanity is an open-source project, that is written in the C programming language, and uses the "ncurses" library for the interface.
19- Clix
The "clix" is a command-line XMPP client written in Lua by "Matthew Wild".
20- Converse
Converse is a free and open-source XMPP chat client in your browser.
21- JSXC
Nextcloud and ownCloud are free, open-source personal and team cloud solutions. They both have a rich ecosystem of extensions and plugins.
The JSXC extension is a full-featured XMPP/ Jabber client that creates a rich messaging experience within Nextcloud and ownCloud.
22- Xabber Android
Yet another android client for XMPP/ and Jabber protocol.Xabber Android client supports multiple accounts and comes with a native look user interface that works on old Android versions as well.
23- Xabber Web
This is the web edition of the Xabber client, it is open-source and comes with a reactive user-friendly interface. Xabber Web supports multiple accounts, comes with contact listing, offers user online presence, user avatar, file attachments, audio messages, and chat emojis.Xabber Web is released under GNU/ GPL-v3.0 License.
24- Kaiwa XMPP
Many users and teams are looking for a web-based XMPP client, Kaiwa is one of the best open-source alternatives out there, that anyone can host and access from anywhere.
25- Strok IM
As many users are looking for Android XMPP clients, Strok IM is a free XMPP/ Jabber client for Android devices.
26- Opa
Opa is a web-based self-hosted XMPP client that you can install at your server or localhost.
27- Instantbird
Instantbird is a multiplatform instant messaging client for several chatting protocols and services. It supports XMPP/ Jabber, Google Talk, Microsoft Messenger, IRC, and PalTalk.
28- Jackline
Jackline is an open-source, fairly new minimalistic secure XMPP client, written in OCaml.
If you know of any other XMPP/ Jabber clients, which fit our list, let us know.
