I’m a huge fan of open source software. Aside from my operating system, I do try my best to go the open source route when I can. In fact, I’m writing this in Open Office, as I don’t see any benefit from buying Microsoft Office at an outrageous price. For my IM client, I’ve used Trillian for many years, but I’m now considering switching to Instantbird, an open source client that has just recently been released.

Like many of the options out there, Instantbird can be used to connect to just about every IM service that you can think of, including Facebook and Twitter. It can also be customized via plugins, very similar to how browsers such as Chrome and Firefox operate. Of course, the best feature is simply that it is free and not ad-supported. If you’re in the market for a new IM client, this one is definitely worth checking out.