Free Windows Chat Clients Go Head-to-Head

Anyone who chats on the internet knows that different people use many different chat protocols, ranging from AIM, popular in the United States, to Windows Live Messenger, popular almost anywhere else, to the widespread usage of Google Chat. With all the different clients out there, it can become hard to keep track of all your contacts and programs unless you have a multi-protocol chat client. This article will take a look at a few of the top multi-protocol chat clients. Though there are many out there, there are a few that distance themselves from the rest, and I will be looking at those.

Cerulean Studios: Trillian Basic 3
This nifty program is a lightweight application with a lot of functionality. The interface is easy to use and get used to, and it has a wide range of cool emoticons to use. The tabbed chat interface, organized by group, is perhaps one of the most convenient features that Trillian brings to the table. Trillian’s interface is perhaps the best of the interfaces available among these programs; in addition, it is lightweight and easy to become accustomed to. On the downside, it does not offer interfacing into Google Talk unless you are willing to shell out the cash for Trillian Pro. In addition, chat logs are shown in notepad. These two major disappointments hugely hurt the status that this otherwise stellar program has.
When you try to install this program, it also tries to get you to install programs like the Weather Channel Desktop and the Ask.com Toolbar, so be wary that you do not install these unneeded add ons unless you really intended to.

FlickIM
FlickIM is an interesting application that allows you to chat with your friends from anywhere, even if you don’t have a chat client installed. It runs in any browser as a website, and it is relatively lightweight. The bright interface and cool colors make for an exciting time while chatting, but on the downside, you have to be switch to the FlickIM window whenever you are chatting. One major plus that FlickIM has is that it is amazingly simple to get started; with that said, FlickIM does not give many configuration options and the only features are the ones provided by the people who host FlickIM. FlickIM does have the very useful feature that you can use it on a remote device like an iPhone or and iPod Touch.

Meebo
Meebo is a cool flash application that allows a lot of ease of use and a cool Windows-like flash interface. For a web application, it provides surprising versatility, allowing you to pop chat windows out of the flash application. It provides interfacing into the major networks, though if you are looking for a more specific chat protocol, you may be disappointed. Meebo lets you get started almost immediately, with no strings attached; however, if you want them to log your chat you do have to have a free Meebo account. It provides a Meebo chat protocol, and ads peppers the sides, though there are no real “in-your-face” type ads.

Pidgin (formerly gAIM)
Pidgin is a cool open source program that has many features. Though its interface is bland and can take some getting used to, it is also lightweight and grows on you. Because it is open source, there are many extensions available, and it has access to almost any chat protocol out there. In addition, Pidgin offers perhaps the best chat logging of all the chat clients available; to top it off, it can even index the featureless chat logs you made while using Trillian. Pidgin provides the cool feature of combining multiple screennames from different protocols into one buddy, so if you have a friend who is both a buddy on AIM and on Windows Live Messenger, you can combine those screennames into one buddy. Another cool feature is the Buddy Pounce feature, which gives you a list of states that you can pounce your buddy in; for example, you can create a pounce that will send your friend Joe an IM when he returns from the “Away” state, or something similar.

Head-to-Head - now that we have looked at some of the respective programs, lets take a look at them head-to-head.
Ease of Use: The two web applications take the cake for ease of use, as there is almost no configuration required to set up an account. Trillian comes next, because of how instant it is to use the features available.
Interface: Trillian has the coolest interface, and it is also quite lightweight even on my terrible computer. Pidgin’s interface can take some getting used to, but it is lightweight and easy to use. Meebo and FlickIM have trouble matching the two programs in terms of interface because you have to be in their respective chat windows to chat.
Protocol Compatibility: Pidgin is the most compatible with as many protocols as you can ask for available. The other three each have roughly the same amount of available protocols, though Trillian is severely lacking because of the unavailability of Google Talk.
Chat Logging: Pidgin again wins in terms of chat logging, and this isn’t particularly close. Chat logging isn’t available at all in FlickIM, Meebo requires registration for the chat logging, and chat logs are stored on the server and cannot be downloaded; Trillian stores chat logs in chat logs that don’t even have a user interface.
Extendability: Pidgin wins in extendability in that it has many available add-ons, and more are always being developed. Trillian comes next, and Meebo and FlickIM are tied for last because of how little expansion you can get beyond what is already given to you.
Overall: Pidgin is my choice over Trillian, though it is close. Pidgin just offers key features that you just can’t get on Trillian. Meebo is also a very useful client if you are ever away from your home computer. It’s obviously up to you which client to use, but my personal choice is Pidgin for its overall extendability and the advanced features it offers.