Empathy is an instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP (VoIP) client which supports text, voice, video, file transfers, and inter-application communication over various IM protocols. Developed by The GNOME Project
License: Open Source
mIRC is a powerful IRC client with extensive scripting capabilities, primarily for Windows, while Empathy is a more user-friendly multi-protocol IM client that integrates well with GNOME, focusing on XMPP and offering multimedia features. The choice between them depends on the user's needs for customization versus ease of use.