Comparison of instant messaging clients

Instant messaging was created in July 1996 by Yair Goldfinger, Arik Vardi, Sefi Vigiser, and Amnon Amir, when they started a company called Mirabilis in order to introduce a new way of communication over the Internet[dubious - discuss]. [1] The current landscape for instant messaging involves cross-platform instant messaging clients that can handle one or multiple protocols so that internet users can communicate with multiple users at the same time. [2] The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of instant messaging clients. See the individual products' articles for further information. External links may lead to extensions that add a feature to a client.

## Contents

* 1 General information
* 2 Operating system support
* 3 Protocol support
* 3.1 XMPP-related features
* 4 Features
* 5 Secure messengers
* 5.1 Messengers with client-to-client encryption
* 5.2 Messengers with client-to-server encryption
* 5.3 Messengers with no encryption
* 6 See also
* 7 References

## General information

Client  | Publisher  | First public release  | Type  | Latest stable version  | License

|
|
|
|
|

Adium | Adam Iser, Evan Schoenberg  | 2001-09  | Multi-protocol  | 1.5.10.4 (April 27, 2017; 9 years ago (2017-04-27)) [±] | GPLv2
aMSN | The aMSN team  | 2002-05  | Single-protocol  | 0.98.4  | GPL
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)  | AOL  | 1997-05  | Single-protocol  | 8.0.8.1 (April 6, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-04-06)) [±] | Discontinued (was freeware)
Ayttm | Colin Leroy and Philip Tellis  | 2003-04  | Multi-protocol  |

* Linux: 0.6.3 (10 Jul 2010)
* Windows: 0.4.6-17

| GPL
Babelnet | OKsystem a.s. | 2013  | Single-protocol  |

* Android: 7.6.1 (11 July 2018)
* iOS: 7.8.0 (6 August 2018)
* Windows desktop: 5.8.1 (24 July 2018)
* macOS: 3.7.0 (3 August 2018)

| Proprietary commercial software
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)  | BlackBerry Limited | 2006  | Single-protocol  | 10.5.5.38 (BlackBerry 10) (31 October 2014; 11 years ago (2014-10-31)) [±]

8.5.1.8 (BlackBerry) (3 August 2014; 11 years ago (2014-08-03)) [±]

2.5.0.36 (Android) (10 November 2014; 11 years ago (2014-11-10)) [±]

2.5.0.26 (iOS) (31 October 2014; 11 years ago (2014-10-31)) [±]

| Freeware
BitlBee | Wilmer van der Gaast  | 2002-08-09  | Multi-protocol IRC gateway  | 3.6 (7 February 2019; 7 years ago (2019-02-07)[3]) [±] | GPL
Bombus | Eugene Stahov  | 2005-01-05  | Single-protocol  | v0.6 (2008; 18 years ago (2008))  | GPL
Centericq | Konstantin Klyagin  | 1999  | Multi-protocol  | 4.21.0 (September 2, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-02)) [±] | GPL
Coccinella | Mats Bengtsson  | 1999-12-01  | Single-protocol  | 0.96.16 (December 1, 2009; 16 years ago (2009-12-01))  | GPLv3
Discord | Discord Inc.  | 2015-03-06  | Single-protocol  | 03.30.2017; (March 30, 2017; 9 years ago (2017-03-30))  | Freeware
eBuddy | Paulo Taylor  | 2003-03-09  | Multi-protocol  | 2011; 15 years ago (2011) | Freeware
emesene | Luis Mariano Guerra  | 2006-05-24  | Multi-protocol  | 2.12.5  | GPL
Empathy | The GNOME Project  | 2007-05  | Multi-protocol  | 3.12.12[4] (May 13, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-05-13)) [±] | GPL
Facebook Messenger | Facebook, Inc.  | 2011-08-09  | Single-protocol  |  | Freeware
FaceTime | Apple Inc.  | 2010-06-24 for iOS; 2011-02-24 for macOS:  | Single-protocol  |

* iOS: 10.3.3 (stable), July 19, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-07-19)
* macOS: 4.0 (3080), July 24, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-07-24)

| Part of macOS or iOS
Fire | Eric Peyton  | 1999-04-01  | Multi-protocol  | 1.5.6 (February 16, 2006) [±] | GPL
Firetalk  | Multitude Communications  | 1997 -2001  | voice/music chat program  |  | GPL
Flock | Riva FZC  | September 2014  | Single-protocol  | iOS: v2.28.5, Android: v4.5, OS X: v2.2.144, Windows: v2.2.x, Web: v2.2.x  | Freemium
Gadu-Gadu | Łukasz Foltyn / GG Network S.A.  | 2000-08-15  | Single-protocol  |

* Modern UI: 2.0.0.179
* Desktop: 12.0.49.11103 (December 13, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-12-13))

| Freeware
Gajim | Yann Le Boulanger  | 2004-05-21  | Single-protocol  | 1.3.2 (April 24, 2021; 5 years ago (2021-04-24)[5]) [±] | GPL
Google Allo | Google, Inc.  | 2016-09-21  | Single-protocol  | | Android| 27.0.326_RC03 / December 7, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-12-07)[6]

|

iOS| 27.0 / December 5, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-12-05)[7]
Freeware
Google Hangouts | Google, Inc.  | 2013-05-15  | Single-protocol  |  | Freeware
Hookt | Hookt, Inc.  | 2011-09-14  | Single-protocol  |  | Freeware
Hike | Bharti SoftBank  | 2012-12-12  | Single-protocol  |

* 3.2.0 (Android, August 12, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-08-12))[8]
* 2.6.2.0 (Windows Phone, July 23, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-07-23))[9]
* 2.6.2 (BlackBerry, May 7, 2014; 12 years ago (2014-05-07))[10]
* 2.6.0 (iOS, August 12, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-08-12))[11]
* 2.6.0 (Symbian)

| Freeware
IBM Lotus Sametime  | IBM, Ubique | 1998  | Multi-protocol — proprietary T.120, SIP, XMPP  | 9.0.0 (September 20, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-09-20))  | Proprietary commercial software
iChat | Apple Inc. | 2002-08  | Multi-protocol  | 6.0.1 (1002) (February 1, 2012; 14 years ago (2012-02-01)), replaced by Messages | Part of macOS
ICQ | Mail.Ru | 1996-11  | Single-protocol  | 8.0.5977 (January 14, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-01-14))  | Apache license
IMVU | Will Harvey  | 2001-07  | Multiple-protocol  | 3.0  | Freemium
Instantbird | Florian Quèze  | 2007  | Multi-protocol  | 1.5 (December 17, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-12-17)) [±] | GPLv2
Jitsi | Emil Ivov  | 2003  | Multi-protocol  | 2.10 (build.5550) (February 5, 2017; 9 years ago (2017-02-05)) [±] | LGPL
Kadu | Kadu Team  | 2001-08  | Multi-protocol  | 4.1 (December 2, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-12-02))  | GPLv2
KakaoTalk | Kakao Corp.  | 2010-03-18  | single-protocol  |

* iOS: 5+
* Android: 4+
* Windows Phone: 2+
* BlackBerry: 3+
* Windows 8

| Freeware
Kik Messenger | Kik Interactive  | 2010-10  | Signle-protocol  | 6.2  | Freeware
Kopete | Kopete Team  | 2002-03-03  | Multi-protocol  | 1.7.2 (October 13, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-10-13)) [±][12] | GPL
Libon | Orange S.A. | 2012-11-21  |  |  | Freemium
Line  | LINE Corporation  | 2011  | Single-protocol  |

* iOS: 3.8.2
* Android: 3.8.5
* Windows Phone: 2.6.0.137
* BlackBerry: 1.8.23
* Windows: 5.8.1706

| Freemium
MCabber  | Mikael Berthe  | 2005-06-07  | Single-protocol  | 1.1.2 (September 19, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-09-19)) [±] | GPL
Meetro | Paul Bragiel & Samuel Stauffer  | 2005  | Multi-protocol  |

* Windows: 0.96 beta
* OS X: 0.53 beta

| Discontinued
Messages | Apple Inc. | 2012-07-25  | Multi-protocol  | 8.1.3 (January 27, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-01-27))  | Part of macOS and iOS
Skype for Business | Microsoft | 2005  | Single-protocol  | 2013 (October 2, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-10-02))  | Trialware
Miranda IM  | Miranda IM project  | 2000-02-06  | Multi-protocol  | 0.10.80[13] (25 April 2018; 8 years ago (2018-04-25)) [±] | GPL
Mysms | sms.at mobile internet services gmbh  | 2011  | Single-protocol  | ?  | Freemium
MySpaceIM  | MySpace  | 2006-05-09  | Single-protocol  | 1.0.754.0 (February 7, 2008; 18 years ago (2008-02-07))  | Freeware
naim | Daniel Reed  | 1998-10-05  | Multi-protocol  | 0.11.8.3.1 (July 9, 2007; 18 years ago (2007-07-09))  | GPL
Nimbuzz | Evert Jaap Lugt  | 2006  | Multi-protocol  | Android: 7.1.0
(10 March 2019; 7 years ago (2019-03-10)) [±][14]

iOS: 5.11.0
(1 February 2018; 8 years ago (2018-02-01)) [±][15]

BlackBerry OS: 4.0
(10 December 2013; 12 years ago (2013-12-10)) [±][16]

Windows Phone: 1.1.8.1
(16 April 2014; 12 years ago (2014-04-16)) [±][17]

| Freeware
Palringo | Palringo Ltd  | 2006  | Single-protocol  |

* Windows: 2.7.9 (July 4, 2012; 14 years ago (2012-07-04))
* Windows Mobile: 2.6.6 (March 30, 2012; 14 years ago (2012-03-30))
* iOS: 4.12 (August 6, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-08-06))
* Android: 5.2.8 (August 1, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-08-01))
* OS X: 4.6.4 (July 24, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-07-24))
* Windows Phone: 0.11.0.0 (February 14, 2012; 14 years ago (2012-02-14))

| Freemium
Paltalk |  | 1998-06  | Multi-protocol  | Version 10.2 Build 455  | Freeware
Pidgin | Mark Spencer  | 1998-11  | Multi-protocol  | 2.14.6 (July 9, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-07-09)[18]) [±] | GPL
Psi | Psi and Psi+ developers  | 2001  | Single-protocol  | 1.5 (September 6, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-09-06)) [±] | GPL
Quiet Internet Pager (QIP)  | Ilgam Zyulkorneev  | 2004  | Multi-protocol  | QIP 2012 version 4.0 (build 8866) (27 November 2012; 13 years ago (2012-11-27)) [±] | Freeware
QuteCom | QuteCom  | 2004  | Multi-protocol  | 2.2.1 (22 June 2011; 15 years ago (2011-06-22)[19]) [±] | GPL
Ricochet | Invisible.im  | 2014-06  | Single-protocol  | 1.1.4 (November 8, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-11-08)[20]) [±] | BSD
Ring | Savoir-faire Linux Inc.  | 2014  | Single-protocol  | 20180509  | GPLv3
RingID | Ring Inc.  | 2015  | Multi-protocol  |

* 4.1.4 (Android, March 16, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-03-16))[21]
* 4.1.1.4 (Windows Phone, March 9, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-03-09))[22]
* 4.2.2 (iOS, March 19, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-03-19))[23]

| Freeware
Sicher | SHAPE GmbH  | 2014-06  | Single-protocol  | 1.1  | Freeware
Signal | Open Whisper Systems | 2014-07  | Single-protocol  |  | GPLv3
Skype | Skype Technologies, a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation  | 2003  | Single-protocol  | | Software:Windows, UWP| 15.106.212.0 / 19 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-19)[24]

|

Software:Windows, desktop| 8.106.0.212 / 19 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-19)[24]
Software:macOS| 8.106.0.212 / 19 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-19)[24]
Software:Linux| 8.106.0.212 / 19 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-19)[24]
Android| 8.106.0.213 / 18 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-18)[25]
Software:iOS| 8.106.1 / 25 October 2023; 2 years ago (2023-10-25)[26] (Software:iPhone and Software:iPad)
Freemium adware
Spark (XMPP client) | Ignite Realtime  | 2006-09  | Single-protocol  | 2.7.7 (April 24, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-04-24)) [±] | Apache License
Surespot | Surespot LLC  | 2013  | Single-protocol  | | Android| 81 / April 27, 2019; 7 years ago (2019-04-27)[27]

|

iOS| 21 / November 29, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-11-29)[28]
GPLv3
Telegram | Telegram Messenger LLP  | 2013  | Single-protocol  |  | GPLv2, GPLv3[29]
Tencent QQ | Tencent Holdings  | 1999-02  | Single-protocol  | See current releases | Adware
TextSecure | Open Whisper Systems | 2010-05  | Single-protocol  | Discontinued (merged with RedPhone to become Signal)  | GPLv3
Threema | Threema GmbH  | 2012-12  | Single-protocol  |  | Proprietary commercial software
Tkabber | Alexey Shchepin  | 2002-07-03  | Single-protocol  | 1.1.2 (May 10, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-05-10))  | GPL
Tox | Tox Foundation  | 2013  | Single-protocol  |  | GPLv3
Trillian | Cerulean Studios | 2000-07-01  | Multi-protocol  |  | Freemium adware
Tuenti | Tuenti | 2006  | Multi-protocol  |  | Proprietary
Upptalk | Upptalk | 2010  | Dual-protocol  | iOS 2.4 (November 26, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-11-26)[30]) [±]

Android 2.0.2 (February 12, 2014; 12 years ago (2014-02-12)) [±]
Windows Phone 7.x 1.0.1.7 (September 12, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-09-12)) [±]
Windows Phone 8.x 1.0.0.4 (September 18, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-09-18)) [±]
BlackBerry OS 1.0.1 (May 31, 2013; 13 years ago (2013-05-31)) [±]
Kindle Fire 2.0 (December 19, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-12-19)[31]) [±]

| Freeware
Viber | Talmon Marco, Igor Magazinnik, Sani Maroli and Ofer Smocha  | 2010-12-02  | Single-protocol  |  | Freemium
WeChat | Tencent Holdings  | 2011-01  | Single-protocol  | | iOS| 8.0.4 / April 7, 2021; 5 years ago (2021-04-07)[32]

|

macOS| 3.0.1 / April 3, 2021; 5 years ago (2021-04-03)[33]
Android| 7.0.21 / January 6, 2021; 5 years ago (2021-01-06)[34]

Freeware
WhatsApp | Facebook, Inc.  | 2009-08  | Single-protocol  |  | Freeware
Wickr | Wickr Inc.  | 2012-06  | Single-protocol  |  | Trialware
Windows Live Messenger | Microsoft | 1999-07  | Dual-protocol  | 2012 (v16.4.3508.205) (August 7, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-08-07)) [±] | Discontinued (was freeware)
Wire | Wire Swiss GmbH  | 2014-12-03  | Single-protocol  |

* iOS: 2.2
* Android: 2.3
* OS X: 2.5
* Windows: 2.6ch
* Web: 2016-04-08

| GPLv3
Xabber | Redsolution Inc.  | 2011  | Single-protocol  |

* iOS: 2.0.1[35]

| GPLv3
Xfire | Xfire Inc.  | 2004  | Dual-protocol  | 1.155 (March 20, 2013; 13 years ago (2013-03-20)) [±] | Discontinued (was freeware)
Yahoo! Messenger | Yahoo! | 1999-06-21  | Dual-protocol  |

* Windows: 11.5.0.228
* OS X: 3.0.2
* Unix: 1.0.4

| Discontinued (was freeware)
Zephyr | Project Athena  | 1987  | Single-protocol  | 2.0  | MIT
Client  | Publisher  | First public release  | Type  | Latest stable version  | License

## Operating system support

The operating systems the clients can run on without emulation or compatibility layers.

Client | Desktop  | Mobile  | Other

|
|
|

Windows | macOS | Unix-like | Haiku | Amiga | Windows Phone | Android | BlackBerry OS | iOS | Symbian | MeeGo | Java ME | WebOS | Web | VGCs
Adium | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
BBM | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
AIM  | Yes | Yes | Dropped | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No
aMSN | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No
Ayttm | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Babelnet | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
BitlBee | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Bombus | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No
Centericq | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
climm | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Coccinella | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Discord | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 1] | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
eBuddy | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No
emesene | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Empathy | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Facebook Messenger | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
FaceTime | No | Included | No | No | No | No | No | No | Included | No | No | No | No | No | No
Flock | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Fire | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Gadu-Gadu | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No
Gajim | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Google Hangouts | Partial[lower-alpha 2] | Partial[lower-alpha 2] | Partial[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 1] | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Hookt | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No
Hike | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
IBM Lotus Sametime  | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
ICQ | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No
IMVU | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Instantbird | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Jitsi | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Unstable | Unstable | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
KakaoTalk | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Kadu | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No
Kik | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Kopete | Yes[lower-alpha 3][36] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Line  | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Messages | No | Included | No | No | No | No | No | No | Included | No | No | No | No | No | No
MCabber  | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Skype for Business | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
Miranda IM  | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
MySpaceIM  | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
naim | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Nimbuzz | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No
Palringo | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
Paltalk | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Pidgin | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No
Psi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
QIP | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
QuteCom | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Ring | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
RingID | Yes[37] | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No
Signal | Yes[38] | Yes[38] | Partial[lower-alpha 4][39] | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Dropped[39] | No
Snapchat | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Surespot | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Skype | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 1] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | PSP PSV XB1
SOMA | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Spark (XMPP client) | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 5] | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Telegram (standard messages)  | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No[40] | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Telegram (secret chats)  | Yes | Yes/No[lower-alpha 6] | Yes/No[lower-alpha 7] | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Tencent QQ | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No
Threema | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Tkabber | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Tox | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Trillian | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 8][lower-alpha 1] | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Tuenti | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Viber | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
WeChat | Yes | Yes[41] | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No
WhatsApp | 8+[42] | Yes[42] | No | No | No | 8.1+[43] | Yes | To be discontinued in 2017[44] | Yes | To be discontinued in 2017[44] | No | No | No | Yes | No
Wickr | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Windows Live Messenger | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Xbox
Wire | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Xabber | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Xfire | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Yahoo! Messenger | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No
Yuilop  | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Zephyr | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Client  | Windows  | OS X  | Unix-like  | Haiku  | Amiga  | Windows Phone  | Android  | BlackBerry OS  | iOS  | Symbian  | MeeGo  | Java ME  | WebOS  | Web  | VGCs
Desktop  | Mobile  | Other

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The only supported desktop Unix-like platform is Linux.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Only available as Google Chrome/Chromium plugin. No native application available.
3. ↑ May not be the final version suitable for everyday use.
4. ↑ The only supported desktop Unix-like platforms are Debian-based Linux distributions.
5. ↑ Runs under Java, no native installer for latest version
6. ↑ Secret chats supported only in native application Telegram. Cross-platform application Telegram Desktop does not support them.
7. ↑ Secret chats supported only in the third-party applications Cutegram and Telegram CLI. Cross-platform application Telegram Desktop does not support them.
8. ↑ Currently in beta testing.

## Protocol support

Client  | Y!M | AIM/ICQ[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] | XMPP[lower-alpha 4] | IRC | IBM Lotus Sametime  | Novell GroupWise Messenger  | Gadu-Gadu | QQ | Skype[lower-alpha 1] | MySpaceIM  | SIP | Others

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Adium | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 5] | Yes | No | MobileMe, NateOn, Steam IM, Telegram, Tox, Zephyr
AIM  | No | Yes[lower-alpha 6] | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Ayttm | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Babelnet | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes
BitlBee | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A[lower-alpha 7] | Depends[lower-alpha 8] | No | Depends[lower-alpha 8]
Centericq | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
climm | No | Yes[lower-alpha 9] | Partial | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
eBuddy | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No
emesene | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Empathy | Depends[lower-alpha 8] | Yes | Yes  | Depends[lower-alpha 8] | Yes  | Depends[lower-alpha 8]
Fire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Ichat  | Yes | yes/no[45] | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Bonjour
IMVU | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | IMVU
Instantbird | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Netsoul
Jitsi | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ippi, iptel.org, google talk
Kadu | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
KDE Telepathy | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Telegram
Kopete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 5] | No | No | SILC, WinPopup
Messages | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 6] | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | MobileMe
Miranda IM  | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 10] | Yes | Yes | No | ?
naim | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Lily
Nimbuzz | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | No | Yes | Twitter, Facebook chat, Google Talk
Palringo | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | ? | ? | No | ?
Paltalk | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | ? | ? | No | ?
Pidgin | Plug-in | Yes[lower-alpha 11] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Plug-in | Plug-in | Plug-in | Plug-in[46] | Bonjour, Facebook plugin, SIMPLE, Zephyr
QIP | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | MRA, XIMSS
QuteCom | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No
Ring | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Ring
Spark (XMPP client) | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes[lower-alpha 10] | No
Tencent QQ | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No
Tkabber | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Trillian | No[47] | Yes | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 12] | No | Yes[lower-alpha 12] | Yes[lower-alpha 10][lower-alpha 12] | Yes[lower-alpha 10][lower-alpha 12] | No[48][lower-alpha 12] | Yes | No | LinkedIn,[lower-alpha 12] Foursquare,[lower-alpha 12] ASTRA, VZ[lower-alpha 12]
Yahoo! Messenger | Partial[lower-alpha 13] | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No
Upptalk | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
Xabber | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No
| Y!M  | AIM/ICQ  | XMPP  | IRC  | IBM Lotus Sametime  | Novell GroupWise Messenger  | Gadu-Gadu  | QQ  | Skype  | MySpaceIM  | SIP  | Others

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Supports messaging to a phone number (text messaging service).[1][2]
2. ↑ AOL is ending AIM access to cryptographically insecure MD5 authentication.[3]
3. ↑ AIM was discontinued December 15, 2017.[4]
4. ↑ Commonly termed Jabber, used in Facebook, LiveJournal, Tweeter, Identi.ca, etc.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Needs running official Skype client.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Via AIM account only.
7. ↑ Bitlbee is accessed via IRC.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Supported via Pidgin back-end, depends on its version
9. ↑ Via ICQ account only.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Available as plugin.
11. ↑ Requires Pidgin 2.12
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Not supported in versions for Android (checked 12 November 2012 in latest version 1.2.0.11)
13. ↑ Via Yahoo! Messenger account only.

### XMPP-related features

Client  | Transports[lower-alpha 1] | File transfer
(XEP-0096)[lower-alpha 2] | Multi-user
chat
(XEP-0045) | Link-local
(XEP-0174) | Jingle
(XEP-0166)

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File transfer[lower-alpha 2] | Voice calls
| Video calls

Adium | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No
Babelnet | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
BitlBee | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No
Bombus[49] | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
climm | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
Coccinella[50] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No
Conversations | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No
Telepathy-based[lower-alpha 3][51] | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Gajim[52] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Except Windows
Jitsi | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes
Kadu | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No
Kopete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No
Messages | No | Yes | Only join[lower-alpha 4] | Yes | Yes | No | No
MCabber[53] | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No
Miranda IM  | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
Nimbuzz | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes
Pidgin[54] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial[55] | Except Windows[lower-alpha 5] | Except Windows[lower-alpha 5]
Psi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Plug-in | Plug-in
Spark (XMPP client) | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Plug-in | Plug-in
Tkabber[56] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No
Trillian | No | Yes | Only Windows[lower-alpha 6] | Only Windows[lower-alpha 6] | No | No | No

1. ↑ Transport support means the ability to set up transports. Once transport is set up, any client can use it to manage contacts and communicate with them.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The difference between XEP-0096 (legacy) and XEP-0234 (Jingle) file transfer is that the latter works behind NAT (e.g., from home and corporate networks).
3. ↑ Both Empathy and KDE Telepathy are based on Telepathy framework and share same properties in regard of XMPP features support.
4. ↑ Multi-user chats can be joined but not started
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Feature unavailable on Windows.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Feature available on Windows only.

## Features

Information on what features each of clients support.

Client  | Toolkits or SDKs  | File transfer  | Editing sent messages  | Proxy server  | Graphical emoticons | Unicode (UTF-8)  | Built-in games  | Themes, skins  | Plugin system  | Third party add-ons  | Scripting  | Message logging  | Voice messaging  | Voice mail  | Webcam  | Offline  | Cloud backup  | Remote desktop assistance  | Whiteboard | RTL texting

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Adium | Cocoa  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
AIM  | W32/Cocoa  | Yes  | ?  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | No  | Yes  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | No  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] |  | No  | No
aMSN | Tcl/Tk  | Yes  | ?  | http, socks5, msn gateway  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | No
Ayttm | GTK2  | No  | ?  | http, socks4/5  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Partial  | Partial  |  | No  | No
Babelnet | ?  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Partial  |  | Yes  | No
BitlBee | N/A  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | N/A  | Yes  | No  | No  | N/A  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
Bombus | Java ME  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Centericq | ncurses  | Partial  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
climm | line based  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | N/A  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Coccinella | Tcl/Tk  | Yes  | ?  | http, socks4/5  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | Yes  | ?
Discord | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | TTS  | Yes  | Partial  | No  | No  | No  | Plug-in[57]
eBuddy | No  | Partial  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Empathy | GTK3  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Yes  | ?
Facebook Messenger | ?  | Yes  | No  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
Fire | Cocoa  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  |  | ?  | ?
Gadu-Gadu | Qt  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Gajim | GTK2  | Yes  | ?  | http  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
Google Talk | W32  | Yes  | No  | ?  | Partial  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Third party plugin  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
IBM Lotus Sametime  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | available  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Yes  | ?
ICQ | W32  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
IMVU | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | No  | Partial[lower-alpha 2] | No  | Yes  | No  | ?  | No  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
Jitsi | Java  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
Kadu | Qt  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Partial  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Kopete | Qt/KDE  | Yes  | ?  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | With plugin  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
Line | Line SDK  | ?  | No  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  |  | Yes  | ?
Messages | Cocoa  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Partial[lower-alpha 3] | ?
MCabber  | Curses  | No  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Miranda IM  | W32  | Yes  | ?  | Yes, socks4/5, http(s)  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial[lower-alpha 3] | No  | Partial[lower-alpha 3] | Yes  |  | Yes  | Yes
Palringo | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Partial (picture capture only)  | ?  |  | No  | ?
Paltalk | N/A  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?
Pidgin | GTK2  | Partial  | No  | Yes, http, socks4/5  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial (XMPP in Linux)  | No  | Yes (XMPP in Linux)  | Yes  |  | Partial  | Yes
Psi | Qt  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Partial (Linux & Unix)  | No  | Partial (Linux & Unix)  | Yes  |  | Yes  | Yes
QIP | W32, VCL  | Yes  | ?  | Yes, http(s), socks4/4A/5  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
QuteCom | Qt  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  |  | ?  | ?
Ring | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  |  | ?  | ?
Skype | Qt/KDE, W32  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 1] | Yes
Surespot | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | ?  | ?
Tencent QQ | W32  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Yes  | ?
Telegram | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | Only un-encrypted messages  | Yes  | Yes
Tkabber | Tcl/Tk  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | Yes  | No
Tox | Many [lower-alpha 4] | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Up to clients [lower-alpha 4] | Up to clients [lower-alpha 4] | Up to clients [lower-alpha 4] | Up to clients [lower-alpha 4] | Up to clients [lower-alpha 4] | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Partial [58] |  | No  | Yes
Trillian | W32, Cocoa  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  |  | ?  | Yes
WhatsApp | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  |  | No  | Yes
Wickr | No  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  |  | No  | ?
Windows Live Messenger | W32  | Yes  | ?  | Yes, http, socks4/5,  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Yes  | Yes
Wire | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No[59] | No  | Yes
Xfire | W32  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  |  | No  | ?
Yahoo! Messenger | W32, Cocoa, GTK  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Partial  | Yes
Yuilop  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | No  | Yes  | ?  | No  | No  | No  | No  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  |  | Partial  | ?
Client  | Toolkits or SDKs  | File transfer  | Editing sent messages  | Proxy server  | Graphical emoticons  | Unicode (UTF-8)  | Built-in games  | Themes, skins  | Plugin system  | Third party add-ons  | Scripting  | Message logging  | Voice messaging  | Voice mail  | Webcam support  | Offline messaging  | Cloud backup  | Remote desktop assistance  | Whiteboard  | RTL texting

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Feature only supported on Windows
2. ↑ While IMVU does not allow add-ons to extend the client, registered accounts can create new content for use inside the simulation.[clarification needed]
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Supported with plugin
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Tox is a communications protocol and a library implementing that protocol. Applications can bring features of their own.

Client  | Handwriting mode  | Dockable  | Multiaccount  | Spell check  | User-defined graphic emoticons  | Animations  | OAuth

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Adium | Yes, receive only  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Partial  | ?
AIM  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | Partial  | ?
aMSN | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?
Ayttm | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | ?
Babelnet | No  | Partial  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No
BitlBee | No  | N/A  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Centericq | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
climm | N/A  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Coccinella | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?
Discord | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
Empathy | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
Facebook Messenger | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?
Fire | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Gajim | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?
Google Talk | Yes/No[lower-alpha 1] | Yes  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 2] | No  | No  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 2] | No
iChat | No  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?
ICQ | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes, tZer  | ?
IMVU | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Jitsi | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?
Kadu | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Partial  | Yes, emoticons  | No
Kopete | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes, emoticons  | No
Miranda IM  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?
MySpaceIM  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
naim | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Paltalk | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Pidgin | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes, emoticons, user icons  | ?
Psi | No  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes/No[lower-alpha 3] | ?
QIP | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes, emoticons  | ?
QuteCom | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Ring | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Signal | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Snapchat | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Skype | No  | No  | No  | No  | ?  | Yes, animated emoticons  | ?
Telegram (standard messages)  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?
Telegram (secret chats)  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?
Tencent QQ | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?
Tkabber | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes, animated emoticons  | No
Trillian | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes, animated emoticons  | ?
WhatsApp | No  | ?  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No
Windows Live Messenger | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes, animated emoticons, winks  | ?
Wire | Yes  | ? | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No, uses encrypted protocol
Yahoo! Messenger | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?
Client  | Handwriting mode  | Dockable  | Multiaccount  | Spell check  | User-defined graphic emoticons  | Animations  | OAuth for client authorization

1. ↑ The connection between the Google Talk client and the Google Talk server is encrypted, except when using Gmail's chat over HTTP, a federated network that doesn't support encryption, or when using a proxy like IMLogic. - Google
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Feature unavailable in standalone version.
3. ↑ Depends on build configuration options.

## Secure messengers

### Messengers with client-to-client encryption

The following table is an overview of instant messaging clients that provide end-to-end encryption. Some of the listed client applications do not provide end-to-end encryption by default. These clients may require that users install a separate plugin, turn on a setting, or use an optional mode. In these cases, the encryption-related information in this table is only applicable when the encryption is enabled.

Client name  | Encrypted by default  | Development status  | Open source client[lower-alpha 1] | Decentralized[lower-alpha 2] | Servers  | Contact verification[lower-alpha 3] | Encryption ciphers  | Forward secrecy[lower-alpha 4] | Multiple encryption[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] | Encrypted groupchat[lower-alpha 7] | Encrypted file transfer[lower-alpha 7] | Public key and IP unrelated[lower-alpha 8] | Proxy /Tor[lower-alpha 9] | Transport[lower-alpha 10] | Asynchronous encryp. communication[lower-alpha 11] | Encrypted client data[lower-alpha 12] | Screenshot protection[lower-alpha 13] | Self-destructing messages[lower-alpha 13]

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Open source  | Distributed  | Federated  | Data  | Symmetric[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 14] | Asymmetric[lower-alpha 15] | Asym. key size[lower-alpha 16] | TCP  | UDP  | SCTP
Profile information[lower-alpha 17] | Chat metadata[lower-alpha 18] | Contact lists[lower-alpha 19] | Cloud backup  | McEliece  | RSA  | DSA  | ECC  | NTRU  | El Gamal  | Default  | Max.
Babelnet | Yes  | Active  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | RSA-3447  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Depends  | Yes
Briar | Yes  | Active, public beta  | Yes  | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ECC-256  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No
ChatSecure | allows unencrypted  | Active  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | No  | Yes[60] | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | Optional  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Optional  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | No
Conversations | allows unencrypted  | Active  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[61] |  | Stored[61] | No  | Yes  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Depends  | Optional  | Optional  | Yes  | Optional  | Optional  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Optional  | ?  | ?  | No
Cryptocat | Yes  | Active  | Yes  | No  | ?  | ?  | No  |  |  |  | No  | Yes[62] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[62] | Yes[62] | No groupchat  | Yes[62] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
FireChat[63] | allows unencrypted[lower-alpha 21] | Active  | No  | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  |  |  |  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Includes groupchat, but it is not encrypted  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No
iMessage[64] | allows unencrypted[lower-alpha 22] | Active  | No[64] | No  | No  | ?  | No  |  |  |  | Optional  | No[60] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No[64] | ?  | Depends[65] | Yes[66] | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | No  | No
Line[67][68] | Yes  | Active  | No  | No  | No  | Yes[69] | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[69] |  | Stored[69] | Optional  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[70] | ?  | ?  | ECC-256[70] | N/A  | No  | ?  | Yes[68] | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | No  | No  | No
RetroShare | Yes  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  |  |  |  | No  | Yes[60] | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | Yes[60] | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Optional  | Optional  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?
Ring | Yes[71] | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  |  |  |  |  |  | Stored[72] | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Ricochet | Yes  | Active  | Yes  | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | No  | No[73] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[73] | No[73] | No groupchat  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | No[73] | No  | No
Sicher  | Yes  | Active  | No[lower-alpha 23] | No  | No  | ?  | No  |  |  |  |  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | RSA-2048[74] | N/A  | No  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | Yes
Signal | Yes[lower-alpha 24] | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | No  | Yes  | Yes[75] | No[76] | Stored; client-side encrypted[77] | Not stored[78] | Not stored[78][79] | No  | Yes[60] | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ECC-256[80] | N/A  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes[81] | Yes[81] | No  | Yes  | Yes[lower-alpha 25] | Yes  | Yes
Silent Phone | Yes  | Active  | Viewable source[82] | No  | No  | No  | No  | Stored[83] | Not stored[citation needed] | Not stored[citation needed] | ?  | Yes[60] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[60] | Yes[84] | Yes[85] | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes[citation needed] | Yes  | Yes
Surespot | Yes  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | No  | No  | ?  | No  | Stored; client-side encrypted[86] | Stored[86] | Stored[86] | No  | Yes[60] | Yes  | ?  | No  | ?  | Yes[87] | No  | No  | ECC-521[87] | N/A  | Yes  | No  | No groupchat  | No  | No  | ?  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No
Threema | Yes  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26][88] | No  | No  | ?  | No  | Stored; client-side encrypted[89] | Not stored[89] | Not stored[89] | Optional  | Yes[60] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No[lower-alpha 27] | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | No
Tox | Yes  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | No  | No
Viber | allows unencrypted[lower-alpha 28][90] | Active  | No  | No  | No  | ?  | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[91] | Stored[91] | Stored[91] | Optional  | Yes[92] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[92] | ?  | ?  | ECC-256[92] | N/A  | Yes[92] | ?  | Depends[92][93] | Yes[92] | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[92] | ?  | No  | No
WhatsApp | Yes  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26][94] | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[95] | Stored[95] | Stored[95] | Optional  | Yes[94] | Yes[94] | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[94] | ?  | ?  | ECC-256[94] | N/A  | Yes[94] | Yes[94] | Yes[94] | Yes[94] | Yes[94] | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[94] | No  | No  | No
Wickr Me | Yes  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26][96] | No  | No  | ?  | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[97] | Not stored[98] | Not stored[98] |  | Yes[99] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[99] | No  | No  | ECC-521[99] | N/A  | Yes[99] | Yes[99] | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes[99] | Capture notification[100] | Yes
Wickr Pro | Yes  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26][101] | No  | No  | ?  | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted[97] | Not stored[98] | Not stored[98] |  | Yes[99] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[99] | No  | No  | ECC-521[99] | N/A  | Yes[99] | Yes[99] | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes[99] | ?  | Yes
Wire | Yes  | Active  | Yes[102] | No  | Yes[103] | ?  | No[103] | Stored; not client-side encrypted[104] | Stored[104] | Stored[104] | No  | Yes[105] | Yes[106] | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[106] | ?  | ?  | ECC-256[106] | N/A  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes[107] | ?  | No  | Yes[106] | Yes[106] | ?  | Yes  | No  | Yes[108]
TextSecure | Yes  | Discontinued[lower-alpha 29] | Yes[lower-alpha 23][109] | Partially[lower-alpha 30] | Yes[lower-alpha 30] | Yes  | Yes, briefly[lower-alpha 30] | N/A  | Not stored  | Not stored  | No  | Yes[60] | Yes  | ?  | ?  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ECC-256[80] | N/A  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes[110] | Yes  | Yes  | No
WASTE | Yes  | Discontinued  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | N/A  | N/A  | N/A  |  |  |  |  | No  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Adium | No  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | No  | Yes  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | No  | No
Google Allo (incognito mode)[111] | No  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26] | No  | No  | Yes[112] | No  |  |  |  | No  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ECC-256  | N/A  | Yes  | Yes  | Optional  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Yes
Facebook Messenger (secret conversations)[113] | No  | Active  | Partially[lower-alpha 26][114] | No  | No  | Yes[115] | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted  |  | Stored  | No  | Yes[114] | Yes[114] | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[114] | ?  | ?  | ECC-256[114] | N/A  | Yes[114] | Yes  | Includes groupchat, but it is not encrypted[116] | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes  | Yes[114] | ?  | Yes[114]
Gajim | No  | Active  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | No  | Yes  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | Optional  | Optional[lower-alpha 31] | Yes  | ?  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Optional  | ?  | ?  | No
Jitsi | No  | Active  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | No  | Yes[60] | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | ?  | No  | No
KakaoTalk (secret chats)[117] | No  | Active  | No  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  |  |  |  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Kopete[lower-alpha 32] | No  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  |  | Yes  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | Includes groupchat, but it is not encrypted  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | No  | No  | ?  | ?
Miranda IM  | No  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  |  |  |  |  | Yes[118] | Yes[119] | ?  | Optional[lower-alpha 31][120] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ECC-192[120] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[121] | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Pidgin | No  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | No  | Yes[60] | Yes[lower-alpha 20][122] | ?  | Optional[lower-alpha 31][123] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20][122] | ?  | ?  | Yes[122] | ?  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | ?  | Optional[lower-alpha 33] | ?  | ?  | ?
Telegram (secret chats)  | No  | Active  | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Stored; not client-side encrypted  | Not stored[124] | Stored[124] | No  | Yes[60] | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | ?  | No  | No  | No  | RSA-2048[125] | N/A  | Sort of[lower-alpha 34] | Yes  | Includes groupchat, but it is not encrypted  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | ?  | No  | Optional  | Yes, warning  | Yes
Xabber | No  | Active  | Yes  | ?  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | Stored  | ?  | ?  | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?  | ?
Client name  | Encrypted by default  | Development status  | Open source client[lower-alpha 1] | Decentralized[lower-alpha 2] | Servers  | Contact verification[lower-alpha 3] | Encryption ciphers  | Forward secrecy[lower-alpha 4] | Multiple encryption[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] | Encrypted groupchat[lower-alpha 7] | Encrypted file transfer[lower-alpha 7] | Public key and IP unrelated[lower-alpha 8] | Proxy /Tor[lower-alpha 9] | Transport[lower-alpha 10] | Asynchronous encryp. communication[lower-alpha 11] | Encrypted client data[lower-alpha 12] | Screenshot protection[lower-alpha 13] | Self-destructing messages[lower-alpha 13]
Open source  | Distributed  | Federated  | Data  | Symmetric[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 14] | Asymmetric[lower-alpha 15] | Asym. key size[lower-alpha 16] | TCP  | UDP  | SCTP
Profile information[lower-alpha 17] | Chat metadata[lower-alpha 18] | Contact lists[lower-alpha 19] | Cloud backup  | McEliece  | RSA  | DSA  | ECC  | NTRU  | El Gamal  | Default  | Max.

### Messengers with client-to-server encryption

The following table is an overview of those Instant Messenger clients which provide client-to-server encryption. It does not include clients that also provide end-to-end encryption.

Client name  | Encryption protocol

|

AIM[60] | ?
BlackBerry Messenger[60] | ?
eBuddy[60] | ?
Gadu-Gadu
Google Hangouts[60] | TLS[126]
Kik Messenger[60] | ?
Skype[60][127] | TLS[128]
Snapchat[60] | ?
Tencent QQ[60] | A custom protocol[60]
Yahoo! Messenger[60] | ?
Echat[129] | ?

### Messengers with no encryption

The following is a list of those Instant Messenger clients which do not provide client-to-server encryption:

* Empathy[citation needed]
* Mxit[60]

Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 For transparency to the public, the source code of the encryption algorithms, and its implementation into a messenger, should be subject to public auditing—which may disclose flaws or implementation failures. Whereas, a company offering a messenger which does not reveal the source must be blindly trusted. In general it is recommended to not trust closed source encryption.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 If a messenger relies on a central server, the setup is closed and may be surveilled. To counter this, decentralized computing architectures have been developed via a peer-to-peer technology, open source chat servers (easily setup by anyone) and/or federated protocols. An architecture in which all the messages do not pass through a central server lessens a single point for surveillance.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The clients have a built-in method for users to verify the identity of correspondents they are speaking with and the integrity of the channel, even if the service provider or other third parties are compromised. Two possible ways of doing this are through:
1. An interface for users to view the fingerprint (hash) of their correspondent's public keys as well as their own, which users can verify manually or out-of-band.
2. A key exchange protocol with a short-authentication-string comparison. An example is the Socialist millionaire's protocol.
The solution should verify a binding between the users and the cryptographic channel.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Forward secrecy describes the option to change the encryption key every session or even instant. This may be implemented by Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR)
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 In symmetric cryptography, the same key is used for encryption and decryption. Knowledge of this key needs to be limited to the two communication partners to ensure confidentiality. As asymmetric algorithms are relatively computationally costly in terms of speed, as compared to symmetric cryptography, the session key may be encrypted / decrypted by a asymmetric algorithm and use a much faster symmetric algorithm to encrypt and decrypt messages, reducing computational cost (increasing speed).
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Multiple encryption is the process of encrypting an already encrypted message one or more times, either using the same or a different algorithm.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Some messengers offer Groupchat and file transfer. These features should transfer only encrypted bytes. Encrypted file transfer may be implemented by Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR)
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Public keys are used to identify users. A user's IP address can in some cases be related to his or her public key. Messengers that do not relate the user's public key to the user's IP address are considered more secure. This offers more security because the IP cannot be targeted to gain access to the private key. If an attacker knows the IP related to a public key, he or she can try to get on the remote machine, download and decrypt the private key and thus decrypt all encrypted communication.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Proxies and Tor might prevent an IP from being related to the public key.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Not all messengers support the same transport protocols like TCP, UDP and SCTP.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lets users exchange encrypted messages asynchronously, i.e. participants do not have to be online at the same time.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lets users set a passphrase that encrypts the local message database. The messages are protected if the device is e.g. lost or stolen.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Screenshot protection and self-destructing messages provide only basic protection against casual/inadvertent logging of messages by users.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Off-the-Record Messaging encryption uses the AES symmetric algorithm and Diffie–Hellman key exchange. It allows forward secrecy and encrypted file transfers.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 The critical advantage in an asymmetric key system is that copies of keys do not need to be sent between communicators. This prevents a third party from copying a key while it is in transit, and preventing the third party from spying on all future messages. In addition, if one key was copied by a third party, only messages to the holder of the key would be compromised, not the messages to the other party in the communication. However, asymmetric algorithms are relatively computationally costly in terms of speed, as compared to symmetric cryptography. The most common asymmetric cryptography algorithm is the RSA Algorithm. Alternative asymmetric algorithms are Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), ElGamal and NTRU. NTRU is regarded not vulnerable to decryption by quantum computing.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 The key size describes the length of the needed mathematical operation. Simply spoken, the longer the key, the longer it takes to crack it.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 For example user avatars and display names.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 For example when and to whom messages have been sent, the time when chats were created, lists of chat participants, the roles of chat participants, chat titles, and chat avatars.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 For example a list of contacts who are also using the software or a list of other users whom the user has communicated with.
20. ↑ 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 20.14 20.15 20.16 Implements Off-the-Record Messaging encryption which uses the AES symmetric algorithm and Diffie–Hellman key exchange. It allows forward secrecy and encrypted file transfers.
21. ↑ Only one-to-one messages are end-to-end encrypted. Public chatrooms are not end-to-end encrypted.
22. ↑ iMessage allows users to send instant messages to other iMessage users, as well as SMS/MMS messages to contacts who are not iMessage users. Only instant messages sent to other iMessage users are end-to-end encrypted. iMessage also contains an optional setting that allows fallback to unencrypted SMS/MMS messaging if the user or an iMessage contact is offline.
23. ↑ 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 23.11 23.12 See: Comparison of instant messaging clients.
24. ↑ Signal contains a setting that allows users to send unencrypted SMS/MMS messages to contacts who do not have Signal. This setting is not enabled by default. Users can also enable a setting that allows fallback to unencrypted SMS/MMS messaging if the user or a Signal contact is offline.
25. ↑ On iOS, the local message database is encrypted by the operating system if the user has a password on their lock screen.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Only the encryption related source code is open.
27. ↑ Only on the network connection, not on the end-to-end layer.[5]
28. ↑ Only messages between Viber users with the latest version for Android, iOS, Desktop or Windows 10 are end-to-end encrypted. The Windows Phone and BlackBerry versions are not supported.
29. ↑ Merged with RedPhone to become Signal.
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 The TextSecure server architecture was partially decentralized between December 2013 and February 2016, when it federated with servers run by the developers of CyanogenMod.
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Supported with plugin
32. ↑ OpenPGP encryption (XEP-0027).
33. ↑ Supported when used with a protocol/service (e.g. Yahoo, MSN etc.) that supports offline messaging. Most protocols support offline messaging (see the features table, fourth from last column).
34. ↑ Encryption keys are only changed after a key has been used more than 100 times or has been in use for more than a week.

## See also

* Comparison of instant messaging protocols
* Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients
* Comparison of LAN messengers
* Comparison of VoIP software
* List of SIP software
* List of video telecommunication services and product brands

## References

1. ↑ "History of Instant Messaging". The University Of Texas At Austin Graduate School Of Library & Information Science. https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~lis312qs/restrict/im/im1.html. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
2. ↑ "History of Instant Messaging". The top 6 best Instant Message client apps on any platform. https://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/08/30/the-top-6-best-instant-message-client-apps-on-any-platform/. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
3. ↑ GitHub - bitlbee/bitlbee: An IRC to other chat networks gateway, BitlBee, 2019-06-12, https://github.com/bitlbee/bitlbee, retrieved 2019-06-25
4. ↑ "ANNOUNCE: Empathy 3.12.12". 13 May 2016. https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/telepathy/2016-May/006843.html.
5. ↑ "Gajim 1.3.2" (in en). https://gajim.org/post/2021-04-24-gajim-1.3.2-released/.
6. ↑ "Google Allo". Android Police. March 14, 2018. https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/allo-by-google/.
7. ↑ "Google Allo". Software:Apple Inc.. March 13, 2019. https://itunes.apple.com/no/app/google-allo-smart-messaging/id1096801294.
8. ↑ "hike messenger". Play Store. Google. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bsb.hike. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
9. ↑ "hike messenger". Windows Phone Marketplace. Microsoft. http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/store/app/hike-messenger/b4703e38-092f-4144-826a-3e3d41f50714. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
10. ↑ "hike messenger". BlackBerry World. http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/20393557/. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
11. ↑ "hike messenger". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hike-messenger/id568038211. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
12. ↑ "KDE Update Announcement". https://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-applications-15.08.2.php.
13. ↑ "Miranda IM [r14691 v0.10.80"]. Miranda IM. 24 April 2018. https://sourceforge.net/p/miranda/svn/14691/.
14. ↑ "Nimbuzz Messenger on Google Play". Google Play Store. Nimbuzz B.V.. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nimbuzz.
15. ↑ "Nimbuzz Messenger". iTunes Store. Nimbuzz B.V.. https://itunes.apple.com/app/nimbuzz-messenger/id297574648?mt=8.
16. ↑ "BlackBerry World - Nimbuzz Messenger". BlackBerry World. Nimbuzz B.V.. http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/4288/.
17. ↑ "Nimbuzz". Windows Phone. Nimbuzz B.V.. http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/nimbuzz/dbff9b0e-7c9d-4914-b56a-9d6052a9a7c2.
18. ↑ "2.14.6 Released!" (in en). 2021-07-09. https://pidgin.im/posts/2021-07-2.14.6-released/.
19. ↑ "Announcement: QuteCom 2.2.1". http://lists.qutecom.org/pipermail/qutecom-dev/2011-June/003378.html.
20. ↑ "Releases". https://ricochet.im/releases/.
21. ↑ "ringID". Play Store. Google. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ringid.ring. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
22. ↑ "ringID". Windows Phone Marketplace. Microsoft. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/ringid/9wzdncrcv6nb. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
23. ↑ "ringID". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ringid-free-video-call-voice/id925330759. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 "Release Notes for Skype for Windows, Mac and Linux". https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34778/what-s-new-in-skype-for-windows-mac-linux-and-web.
25. ↑ "Release Notes for Skype on Mobile". https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34770/what-s-new-in-skype-on-mobile.
26. ↑ "Skype for iPhone". https://apps.apple.com/app/id304878510.
27. ↑ "surespot encrypted messenger - Apps on Google Play" (in en). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twofours.surespot&hl=en_US.
28. ↑ "‎surespot encrypted messenger" (in en-us). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/surespot-encrypted-messenger/id790314865.
29. ↑ "Telegram license info". https://telegram.org/apps#source-code. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
30. ↑ http://www.mod-gadget.com/upptalk-app-updated-ipad/
31. ↑ "yuilop - Free texts and SMS". Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/UppTalk-Calls-number-unlimited-texting/dp/B00HEQP54Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1387446294&sr=1-2.
32. ↑ Tencent Inc. (June 25, 2014). "WeChat". App Store. Apple. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id414478124.
33. ↑ Tencent Inc. (March 17, 2014). "WeChat". Software:Mac App Store. Apple. https://itunes.apple.com/app/wechat/id836500024.
34. ↑ Tencent Inc. (November 16, 2017). "WeChat". Software:Google. http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tencent.mm.
35. ↑ "GitHub Releases". https://github.com/redsolution/xabber-android/releases/tag/2.0.1. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
36. ↑ "KDE Windows Initiative". https://windows.kde.org. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
37. ↑ Spotlight: ringID messenger promises quality HD video calls over slow connections. phonearena.com Retrieved on 2016-02-16.
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Coldewey, Devin (31 October 2017). "Signal escapes the confines of the browser with a standalone desktop app". Oath Tech Network. https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/31/signal-escapes-the-confines-of-the-browser-with-a-standalone-desktop-app/. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Nonnenberg, Scott (31 October 2017). "Standalone Signal Desktop". Open Whisper Systems. https://signal.org/blog/standalone-signal-desktop/. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
40. ↑ Blackberry 10 Dev Contest. Telegram.org. Retrieved on 2014-11-20.
41. ↑ WeChat announces native Mac client; Windows version may follow soonTechie News. Techienews.co.uk. Retrieved on 2014-05-22.
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Swanner, Nate (11 May 2016), WhatsApp now has an official desktop app for Windows and Mac, https://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/05/11/whatsapp-desktop-app-windows-mac/, retrieved 11 July 2016
43. ↑ WhatsApp FAQ - Supported devices, https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/wp/21478428, retrieved 12 May 2018
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "WhatsApp FAQ - Support for older operating systems". https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/general/26000006. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
45. ↑ Ichat doesn't support ICQ
46. ↑ Available in plugin
47. ↑ "Yahoo Messenger | Trillian". https://www.trillian.im/help/user/yahoo-messenger/.
48. ↑ "Trillian and Skype". Official blog. Cerulean Studios. 2014-07-02. http://blog.trillian.im/?p=2999. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
49. ↑ "Список стандартов XMPP, поддерживаемых в Bombus" (in Russian), Bombus, archived from the original on 2011-11-04, https://web.archive.org/web/20111104003843/http://bombus-im.org/wiki/bombus/xeps, retrieved 2011-12-13
50. ↑ "README-jabber", Coccinella, http://sourceforge.net/p/coccinella/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/coccinella/READMEs/README-xmpp, retrieved 2011-12-13
51. ↑ "XEP status in gabble", Telepathy (freedesktop.org), archived from the original on 2012-04-26, https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050718/http://telepathy.freedesktop.org/wiki/Gabble XEP, retrieved 2011-12-13
52. ↑ "GajimXEPSupport", Gajim, archived from the original on 2012-07-22, https://archive.is/20120722005505/https://trac.gajim.org/wiki/GajimXEPSupport, retrieved 2011-12-13
53. ↑ "Features", MCabber, archived from the original on 2011-12-19, https://web.archive.org/web/20111219124321/http://wiki.mcabber.com/index.php/Main_Page#Features, retrieved 2011-12-13
54. ↑ Pidgin-GPG, https://github.com/segler-alex/Pidgin-GPG, retrieved 2013-05-18
55. ↑ Supported XEP \- supported for XMPP not for Jingle
56. ↑ "Protocol support", Tkabber, 2005-11-18, http://tkabber.jabber.ru/protocols, retrieved 2011-12-13
57. ↑ RTL-Discord-Bot
58. ↑ Not part of the P2P network. Some clients simulate offline-messaging. Using relays is also possible.
59. ↑ "Why can't I see my conversation history?" (in en-US). https://support.wire.com/hc/en-us/articles/207834645.
60. ↑ 60.00 60.01 60.02 60.03 60.04 60.05 60.06 60.07 60.08 60.09 60.10 60.11 60.12 60.13 60.14 60.15 60.16 60.17 60.18 60.19 60.20 60.21 60.22 60.23 "Secure Messaging Scorecard. Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 4 November 2014. https://www.eff.org/node/82654. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 "Privacy Policy". Conversations.im. https://account.conversations.im/privacy/. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 62.3 "Security". Cryptocat. https://crypto.cat/security.html. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
63. ↑ "FireChat launches new offline private messaging option". BBC. 30 July 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33718318. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 Lee, Micah (2 March 2015). "You Should Really Consider Installing Signal, an Encrypted Messaging App for iPhone". First Look Media. https://theintercept.com/2015/03/02/signal-iphones-encrypted-messaging-app-now-supports-text/. Retrieved 12 January 2016. "Apple’s iMessage ... employs strong encryption, but only when communicating between two Apple devices and only when there is a proper data connection. Otherwise, iMessage falls back on insecure SMS messaging. iMessage also lacks forward secrecy and inspectable source code."
65. ↑ "Types of group messages". Apple. 3 June 2016. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202724. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
66. ↑ Nakashima, Ellen (21 March 2016). "Johns Hopkins researchers poke a hole in Apple’s encryption". Nash Holdings LLC. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/johns-hopkins-researchers-discovered-encryption-flaw-in-apples-imessage/2016/03/20/a323f9a0-eca7-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
67. ↑ Sawers, Paul (30 June 2016). "Ahead of IPO, mobile messaging giant Line introduces end-to-end encryption by default". https://venturebeat.com/2016/06/30/ahead-of-ipo-mobile-messaging-giant-line-introduces-end-to-end-encryption-by-default/. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 "The next step for even safer messaging: Letter Sealing". Line Corporation. 11 August 2016. http://developers.linecorp.com/blog/?p=3938. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 "LINE Privacy Policy". LINE. http://terms.line.me/line_rules/?lang=en-US. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 "New generation of safe messaging: "Letter Sealing"". LINE Corporation. 13 October 2015. http://developers.linecorp.com/blog/?p=3679. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
71. ↑ "About Ring". Savoir-faire Linux Inc.. https://ring.cx/en/about/practical. Retrieved 8 December 2017. "Your communications will be encrypted without any exception with the most advanced current techniques (see our page dedicated to security). Ring stores your secrets (private key for encryption and identity) only on the machine that runs it."
72. ↑ "Privacy and anonymity". Savoir-faire Linux Inc.. https://ring.cx/en/about/privacy-and-anonymity. Retrieved 8 December 2017. "One possible weakness is that OpenDHT collects and saves metadata. This makes it possible for eavesdroppers to observe the traffic on some DHT node and see who is talking to whom."
73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 73.2 73.3 Hertz, Jesse; Jara-Ettinger, Patricio; Manning, Mark (15 February 2016). "Ricochet Security Assessment" (PDF). NCC Group. https://ricochet.im/files/ricochet-ncc-audit-2016-01.pdf. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
74. ↑ "Sicher FAQ". http://www.shape.ag/en/faq/sections/sicher.php#messages-sent-securely. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
75. ↑ Greenberg, Andy (29 July 2014). "Your iPhone Can Finally Make Free, Encrypted Calls". Condé Nast. https://www.wired.com/2014/07/free-encrypted-calling-finally-comes-to-the-iphone/. Retrieved 29 July 2016. "The group has set up dozens of servers to handle the encrypted calls in more than 10 countries around the world to minimize latency."
76. ↑ Edge, Jake (18 May 2016). "The perils of federated protocols". https://lwn.net/Articles/687294/. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
77. ↑ Lund, Joshua (6 September 2017). "Encrypted profiles for Signal now in public beta". Open Whisper Systems. https://signal.org/blog/signal-profiles-beta/. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 "Grand jury subpoena for Signal user data, Eastern District of Virginia". Open Whisper Systems. 4 October 2016. https://signal.org/bigbrother/eastern-virginia-grand-jury/. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
79. ↑ Marlinspike, Moxie (26 September 2017). "Technology preview: Private contact discovery for Signal". Open Whisper Systems. https://signal.org/blog/private-contact-discovery/. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 Frosch, Tilman; Mainka, Christian; Bader, Christoph; Bergsma, Florian; Schwenk, Jörg; Holz, Thorsten (2014). "How Secure is TextSecure?" (PDF). International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). https://eprint.iacr.org/2014/904.pdf. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 Kolenkina, Masha. "Which TCP & UDP ports need to be available?". https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/213697218-Which-TCP-UDP-ports-need-to-be-available-. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
82. ↑ "Zrtp - SilentCircle". https://www.silentcircle.com/products-and-solutions/technology/zrtp/#is-silent-phone-open-source. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
83. ↑ "Silent Circle Privacy Policy". Silent Circle. https://www.silentcircle.com/privacy-policy/. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
84. ↑ "HappyFox - The page you are looking for doesn't exist (404)". https://support.silentcircle.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2389676-silent-circle-messaging-in-a-multi-device-environment. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
85. ↑ "Silent Phone 6.0 is Here!". Silent Circle. 15 June 2017. https://www.silentcircle.com/blog/silent-phone-6-0/. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 86.2 "Data and threat analysis". Surespot. https://www.surespot.me/documents/threat.html. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
87. ↑ 87.0 87.1 "Everyday Usage Improvements #27". user:2fours, item 3: github.com. 2013-11-10. https://github.com/surespot/android/issues/27.
88. ↑ "Why is Threema not Open Source?". Threema. https://threema.ch/en/faq/source_code. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 89.2 "Frequently asked questions". Threema GmbH. https://threema.ch/en/faq/. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
90. ↑ "Requirements for enhanced security features". Viber. n.d.. https://support.viber.com/customer/portal/articles/2017401-viber-security-faq. Retrieved 16 July 2016. "Note that Viber for Windows Phone 8 will not support the new security features. It will continue to secure calls and messages through standard encryption methods."
91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 91.2 "Viber Privacy Policy". Viber Media S.à r.l.. March 2017. https://www.viber.com/terms/viber-privacy-policy/. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
92. ↑ 92.0 92.1 92.2 92.3 92.4 92.5 92.6 "Viber Encryption Overview". Viber. 3 May 2016. https://www.viber.com/en/security-overview. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
93. ↑ "Are my group chats encrypted as well?". Viber. n.d.. https://support.viber.com/customer/portal/articles/2017401-viber-security-faq. Retrieved 16 July 2016. "A group conversation will only use the upgraded security methods if all group participants are using the upgraded version of Viber."
94. ↑ 94.00 94.01 94.02 94.03 94.04 94.05 94.06 94.07 94.08 94.09 94.10 "WhatsApp Encryption Overview – Technical white paper" (PDF). WhatsApp Inc.. 4 April 2016. https://www.whatsapp.com/security/WhatsApp-Security-Whitepaper.pdf. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
95. ↑ 95.0 95.1 95.2 "WhatsApp Privacy Policy". WhatsApp Inc.. 25 August 2016. https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/#privacy-policy. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
96. ↑ "Wickr Me Private Messenger: udpdate & what's coming next". Wickr Inc.. 14 August 2017. https://www.wickr.com/blog-archive/2017/8/14/wickr-me-private-messenger-update. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
97. ↑ 97.0 97.1 "Privacy Policy". Wickr Inc.. 16 September 2017. https://www.wickr.com/privacy-policy. Retrieved 5 December 2017. "You can set a public profile avatar, which will become visible to others on Wickr Me so please do not add an avatar if you do not want it to be viewed by others users within the Wickr Me App."
98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 98.2 98.3 "Legal Process Guidelines". Wickr Inc.. https://www.wickr.com/legal-process-guidelines. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
99. ↑ 99.00 99.01 99.02 99.03 99.04 99.05 99.06 99.07 99.08 99.09 99.10 99.11 "Wickr Messaging Protocol". Wickr Inc.. 2017. https://www.wickr.com/wickr-messaging-protocol. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
100. ↑ Sanchez, Seth (1 August 2017). "Why don’t you disable screen capture?". Wickr Inc.. https://support.wickr.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007884288-Why-don-t-you-disable-screen-capture-. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
101. ↑ Eddy, Max (15 February 2017). "Wickr Releases Crypto Protocol on GitHub". PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/news/351756/wickr-releases-crypto-protocol-on-github.
102. ↑ "Wire Swiss GmbH". Wire Swiss GmbH. https://github.com/wireapp. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
103. ↑ 103.0 103.1 "Wire server code now 100% open source – the journey continues". Wire Swiss GmbH. 19 September 2017. https://medium.com/@wireapp/wire-server-code-now-100-open-source-the-journey-continues-88e24164309c. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
104. ↑ 104.0 104.1 104.2 "Wire Privacy Whitepaper" (PDF). Wire Swiss GmbH. 23 October 2017. https://wire-docs.wire.com/download/Wire+Privacy+Whitepaper.pdf. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
105. ↑ "How can I compare key fingerprints?". Wire Swiss GmbH. https://support.wire.com/hc/en-us/articles/207692235-How-can-I-compare-key-fingerprints-. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
106. ↑ 106.0 106.1 106.2 106.3 106.4 "Wire Security Whitepaper". Wire Swiss GmbH. https://wire.com/resource/Wire Security Whitepaper/download/. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
107. ↑ "How can I send a file?". https://support.wire.com/hc/en-us/articles/207628179-How-can-I-send-a-file-. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
108. ↑ "Safe and tidy with Timed Messages". Wire Swiss. 25 October 2016. https://medium.com/wire-news/safe-and-tidy-with-timed-messages️-4f26ff17b11b. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
109. ↑ Open Whisper Systems. "TextSecure". https://github.com/WhisperSystems/TextSecure. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
110. ↑ Moxie Marlinspike (22 August 2013). "Forward Secrecy for Asynchronous Messages". Open Whisper Systems. https://whispersystems.org/blog/asynchronous-security/. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
111. ↑ Greenberg, Andy (18 May 2016). "With Allo and Duo, Google Finally Encrypts Conversations End-to-End". Condé Nast. https://www.wired.com/2016/05/allo-duo-google-finally-encrypts-conversations-end-end/. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
112. ↑ "Data center locations". Google Inc.. https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
113. ↑ Greenberg, Andy (8 July 2016). "‘Secret Conversations:’ End-to-End Encryption Comes to Facebook Messenger". Condé Nast. https://www.wired.com/2016/07/secret-conversations-end-end-encryption-facebook-messenger-arrived/. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
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129. ↑ "Echat". https://ico.echat.io. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

* v
* t
* e

Instant messaging

Protocols
(comparison)|

| Open|

* IMPP
* IRC
* Matrix
* MTProto
* RetroShare
* Signal Protocol
* SIP
* MSRP
* SIMPLE
* Tox
* XMPP
* Jingle
* WFP
* Zephyr
* DDP

|

Closed|

* MSNP
* OSCAR
* TOC
* Skype

Services|

* Band
* BBM
* Discord
* Facebook Messenger
* FireChat
* GroupMe
* Hike Messenger
* HipChat
* ICQ
* iGap
* iMessage
* IRC Networks
* Jongla
* KakaoTalk
* Kik
* Libon
* Line
* Marco Polo
* Palringo
* Signal
* Skype
* Slack
* Snapchat
* SNOW
* Tango
* Telegram
* QQ
* Textfree/Pinger
* The Palace
* Threema
* Tox
* Trillian
* Upptalk
* Viber
* Virtual Places Chat
* WeChat
* WhatsApp
* Wickr
* Windows Messenger service
* Yahoo Together
* Zulip

Clients
(comparison)|

| Single protocol|

* Allo
* Baidu Hi
* BBM
* CSipSimple
* Facebook Messenger
* FaceTime
* Fetion
* Gadu-Gadu
* GroupMe
* IBM Sametime
* ICQ
* IMVU
* Jami
* Jongla
* Linphone
* Palringo
* RetroShare
* Ricochet
* Riot.im
* Signal
* Skype
* Telegram
* Tencent QQ
* Tox
* WeChat
* WhatsApp
* Wickr
* Wire

|

Multi-protocol|

* Adium
* Ayttm
* BitlBee
* Centericq
* eBuddy
* Empathy
* Fire
* Instantbird
* Jitsi
* Kopete
* Messages/iChat
* Miranda IM
* Nimbuzz
* Pidgin
* QIP 2010
* Skype for Business
* Trillian
* Telepathy
* Upptalk

XMPP (Jabber)|

* Bombus
* ChatSecure
* Conversations
* Gajim
* Psi
* Tkabber
* Spark

MSNP|

* aMSN
* Skype

Defunct|

* List of defunct instant messaging platforms

See also|

* Backchannel
* Chat log
* Chatbot
* Contact list
* Emoticon
* File sharing
* Instant message service center
* LAN messenger
* Messaging apps
* Presence information
* Shoutbox
* SMS language
* Status message
* Videotelephony
* Voice over IP
* Webcam
* U-Report
* Web chat
* Circuit
* FirstClass
* Flock
* Fuze Box
* Glip
* Hall.com
* Yammer

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