Adium

Free plan Mac

What Adium is

Adium is a free, open-source instant messaging application for macOS. It connects to messaging services operated by others rather than hosting those services itself. Bundled services include XMPP, AIM, ICQ, Bonjour, Twitter, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, IBM Lotus Sametime, and Novell GroupWise; Google Talk and LiveJournal Talk are also listed. The volunteer-driven project uses the libpurple protocol library, is built with Cocoa, and is released under the GNU GPL. Adium can combine several accounts for one person into a single contact and use macOS Address Book details. Tabbed conversations can be arranged across windows and tabs. Chats are stored locally by default, with options to disable logging. Documentation describes OTR features including encryption, authentication, deniability, and perfect forward secrecy. File transfers work through several protocols under stated conditions, while AIM and ICQ transfers have a 4 GB hard limit. The listed version requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or newer.

Who it suits

Adium suits Mac users who want one open-source client for several messaging protocols. It is relevant to people who need tabbed chats, local logging controls, and OTR documentation.

What it does well

Free macOS messaging application
Open-source GNU GPL project
Combines accounts into one contact
Tabbed conversation arrangements
OTR privacy features documented

What to know first

macOS only
Does not host messaging services
Some third-party plugins are unsupported
AIM and ICQ transfers capped at 4 GB

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Adium	Free instant messaging application for macOS	Free

As adium.im lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Adium provides a free, protocol-focused messaging client for Mac users, with account consolidation and configurable chat handling. Check protocol support and the stated file-transfer limits before relying on it for every service.

Facts from Adium's own pages

Bundled services: The service list names XMPP, AIM, ICQ, Bonjour, Twitter, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, IBM Lotus Sametime, and Novell GroupWise as bundled services. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Channels: No · adium.im, 20 Sept 2026
Chat privacy: Adium documentation describes OTR as providing encryption, authentication, deniability, and perfect forward secrecy. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Chat windows: Tabbed messaging lets users combine chats into flexible arrangements of windows and tabs. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Contacts integration: Adium can use macOS Address Book details and combine multiple messaging accounts for one person into a single contact. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
File transfer: File transfers are supported over AIM, ICQ, IRC, XMPP under certain network conditions, and Bonjour; AIM and ICQ have a stated 4 GB hard limit. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · adium.im, 20 Sept 2026
Integrations: XMPP,Google Talk,LiveJournal Talk,AIM,ICQ,Bonjour,Twitter,IRC,Gadu-Gadu,IBM Lotus Sametime,Novell GroupWise · adium.im, 20 Sept 2026
Local chat logs: Adium stores chats locally by default, and its documentation describes options to disable logging generally or for encrypted chats or specific accounts. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Message appearance: The WebKit-based message view supports configurable message styles, with seven included by default and additional styles available from Adium Xtras. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Notifications: The documentation describes notifications through macOS Notification Center, Growl, and Adium's built-in Mist notifications on older OS X versions. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Open source: Adium is an open-source, volunteer-driven project released under the GNU GPL and built with the Cocoa API. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Supported platforms: macOS · adium.im, 20 Sept 2026
Protocol library: Adium is based on the libpurple protocol library. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose: Adium is a free instant messaging application for macOS that connects to XMPP (Jabber), IRC, and other messaging services. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Service hosting: Adium does not host instant messaging services; it connects to services run by others. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Support: The download page directs users to documentation, troubleshooting pages, IRC chat, and GitHub issue reporting for help. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
System requirements: The download page lists Adium 1.5.10.1 or later for Mac OS X 10.7.5 or newer on a Mac. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026
Third-party plugins: The service list names third-party plugins for services including Telegram, Skype, Steam, and WhatsApp, and says Adium does not support those plugins. · adium.im, 11 Oct 2026

Where Adium stands on Freedom251

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