To conclude this presentation on our pick of open-source Jabber clients, here is a small comparison to help you in your choice. Of course, the criteria’s depend on your needs, as the implementation of functions is not the same with all of the clients.
| Name |
Adium X
|
Coccinella |
Exodus |
Gaim |
Gajim |
Gossip |
Jabbin |
Kopete |
Miranda IM
|
PSI |
Spark |
Tested version
|
0.89.1 |
0.95.15 |
0.9.1 |
2.0.0 beta5 |
0.11 |
0.22 |
2.0 beta4 |
0.12.2 |
0.6.1 |
0.10 |
2.0.7 |
Update date
|
11/04/06 |
17/11/06 |
02/04/05 |
10/11/06 |
19/12/06 |
12/01/07 |
14/07/06 |
11/08/06 |
01/07/06 |
11/01/06 |
04/12/06 |
|
|
| Lisence |
GPL |
LGPL |
Avaliability:
- Windows
- Linux
- Mac OS X
|
No
No
Yes
|
Yes
Yes
Yes
|
Yes
No
No
|
Yes
Yes
No |
Yes
Yes
No |
No
Yes
No |
Yes
Yes
Yes |
No
Yes
No |
Yes
No
No
|
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Nice options:
-tabs
-pictures for users
-smileys
|
Yes
Yes
Yes
|
Yes
Yes
Yes |
No
No
Yes |
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Yes
Yes
Yes |
No
No
Partial
|
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Yes
Yes
Yes
|
Yes
No
Yes
|
Yes
Yes
Yes |
Compatibility:
-multi-protocol
-detection of Jabber services
|
Yes
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
Yes
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
Yes
Yes
|
Yes
No
|
No
Yes
|
No
Yes
|
Simulaneous multiple accounts
|
Yes |
No
|
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes
|
Yes |
Partial |
Yes |
No |
Multimedia :
- voice calls
- video
|
No
No
|
Yes
No |
No
No |
No
No |
No
No |
(patch)
Yes
Yes
|
Yes
No |
Yes
Partial
|
No
Partial
|
No
No
|
Yes
No |
Tools:
- spell checker.
- white board
|
No
No |
No
Yes
|
No
No |
Yes
No |
Yes
No |
Yes
No |
No
No |
Yes
No
|
No
No
|
No
No
|
Yes
No
|
As clearly demonstrated in this table, all combinations are possible. One glaring thing though is that multimedia is almost inexistent in the Jabber clients. Why? Because the specifications only evolve slowly and their implementation is not that easy. But hopefully this should change soon, perhaps with the integration of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) in these XMPP clients…
What is the best Jabber client?
To conclude this article, we will try and answer the most commonly asked question on the forums: “What is the best Jabber client?”
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point for view), there isn’t a single Jabber client that is better then all of the others in all criteria. None of them is actually multiplatform, multi-protocol, and comes with full video-conference capabilities.
The question should therefore be: “What is the Jabber client best adapted to my needs?”
If you often change between different operating systems (between work and home for example), then you would probably want to look at using the same messenger all the time.
If you have an old computer, which freezes each time you open a window, then you should probably look at taking a light interface.
As you will have understood your tastes, habits and needs have to all be considered when making your choice.
For those of you that want to accuse you us of not making a decision, then we can name one that is possibly not the best, but one that we found to be our favourite: Gaim, which had a nice use, was light and easy to use. It is not available on Mac OS X, sure, but they have Adium X available to them, so this can be forgiven.
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May 23rd, 2013 - 7:09 PM ET
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