Empathy Alternatives for Linux

Skype is an instant messaging and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) client to communicate with people in a distant place.

Pidgin is a free and open-source chat client which supports AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, XMPP protocols.

Tox is a peer-to-peer instant-messaging and video-calling protocol that offers end-to-end encryption.

Trillian is a proprietary multiprotocol instant messaging application.

Jitsi (formerly SIP Communicator) is a free and open source multiplatform voice (VoIP), videoconferencing and instant messaging application.

Linphone is a free voice over IP (VoIP) service and SIP client.

Psi is a free instant messaging application designed for the XMPP network (including Google Talk). Fast and lightweight, Psi is fully open-source and compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Wire is a cross-platform, encrypted instant messaging client created by Wire Swiss. It is available for iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, macOS and Web browser clients.

Kopete is a multi-protocol, free software instant messaging client released as part of the KDE Software Compilation. Although it can run in numerous environments, it was designed for and integrates with the KDE Plasma Workspaces.

Ring (SFLphone) is an open-source SIP-compatible softphone and instant messenger for Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X and Android.

ICQ is an open source instant messaging software.

Gajim is an instant messaging client for the XMPP protocol which uses the GTK+ toolkit.

Quassel IRC, or Quassel, is a graphical, distributed, cross-platform IRC client.

Matrix is an open protocol for real-time communication. It is designed to allow users with accounts at one communications service provider to communicate with users of a different service provider via online chat, Voice over IP, and Videotelephony.

Apache Spark is an open-source cluster-computing framework.

qutIM is free and open-source multiprotocol (ICQ, Jabber, Mail.Ru, IRC, VKontakte) instant messenger.

Psi is a cross-platform powerful XMPP/Jabber client (Qt, C++) designed for the Jabber power users. Psi+ is a development branch of Psi IM XMPP/Jabber client.

Zoiper is an easy to use sip video softphone, with excellent voice quality and easy to setup.

Blink is the best real-time communications client using the SIP protocol.

Bit Chat is a secure, peer-to-peer, open source instant messenger with end-to-end encryption.

Coccinella is a free and open-source cross-platform client for the XMPP/Jabber-instant messaging-protocol.

Zulip is a chat and collaborative software.

Dialog Messenger is a handy and feature-rich enterprise multi-device messenger available for server or cloud.

Tkabber is a GPL instant messaging client for the XMPP protocol which uses the Tk toolkit for the GUI.

YakYak is a desktop chat client for Google Hangouts.