Nicotine+

What Nicotine+ is

Nicotine+ is a graphical client for the Soulseek peer-to-peer network. It lets people share files, chat, and find others with similar interests, and is designed to stay compatible with other Soulseek clients. The application is written in Python and uses GTK for its graphical interface.

Nicotine+ is free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. Its listed plan costs nothing. It runs on GNU/Linux, Windows, and macOS. Official Windows installers cover x64 systems on Windows 10 or later and ARM64 systems on Windows 11 or later. Apple Silicon and Intel installers are available for macOS 11 Big Sur or later. Linux installation choices include distribution packages, Flatpak, Snap, a team PPA for Ubuntu and Debian, and PyPI.

The Nicotine+ Team says the client does not collect data used or stored by the application. Soulseek is an unencrypted protocol and is not intended for secure communication. Connecting to the default Soulseek server means accepting that server’s rules and terms of service; the server is not operated by the Nicotine+ Team. The project directs users to its issue tracker for problems or suggestions and lists an IRC channel for community chat.

Who it suits

Nicotine+ suits people who want a graphical desktop client for sharing files, chatting, and finding others on Soulseek. It is available for GNU/Linux, Windows, and macOS, with several installation routes for Linux users.

Limits

The standalone Windows package shares its application data and configuration folder with the installed variant, so using both can cause conflicts. Soulseek is unencrypted and is not intended for secure communication.

Getting started

1. Visit the Nicotine+ website.
2. Choose a download route for GNU/Linux, Windows, or macOS.
3. On Windows, choose the installer matching x64 Windows 10 or later or ARM64 Windows 11 or later.
4. On macOS, use the Apple Silicon or Intel installer for macOS 11 Big Sur or later.
5. On Linux, choose a distribution package, Flatpak, Snap, the team PPA for Ubuntu or Debian, or PyPI.
6. Connect to the default Soulseek server and follow its rules and terms of service.

Verdict

Pick Nicotine+ if you want a free, open source graphical client for Soulseek on a supported desktop platform. Look elsewhere if you need secure communications or a web interface, since Soulseek is unencrypted and Nicotine+ has no web interface.