# What's your favorite Universal instant messenger client **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291 "2004-09-27T13:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/1 "2004-09-27T13:17:43Z")
OK, so I’m at work at we use Yahoo Instant Messenger, some of my friends like MSN Messenger, I’ve always been an AIM kind of guy. There seem to be quite a few universal instant messenger clients out there. What are the good ones? Are they all loaded with spyware or malware? Give me your recommendations please. E3 ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/2 "2004-09-27T15:47:43Z")
I’m only aware of Trillian, which I can reccomend wholeheartedly. It can connect to MSN, ICQ, AIM and IRC. It used to connect to Yahoo, no idea why it doesn’t now (I don’t ever use Yahoo). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/3 "2004-09-27T16:29:53Z")
I agree. Trillian is definitely the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/4 "2004-09-27T16:31:21Z")
I use Trillian for MSN and AIM, and am mostly satisfied. It doesn’t work quite as well as the native clients (small stuff) but overall it works decently. There is another universal client out there called GAIM, you could check that one out as well. I found it worse than Trillian but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/5 "2004-09-27T17:38:56Z")
I use Trillian as well. As pointed out previously, it doesn’t have all the “bells and whistles” the original IMs have, but it is a really good substitute if you have many friends/co-workers using different IMs. Beats the heck out of loading 4 IM programs. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/6 "2004-09-27T20:42:23Z")
Thanks for the replies everybody. I downloaded Trillian, but it only shows “partially connected”. For some reason, it’s not signing me in to MSN. So far I like it. E3 ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/7 "2004-09-28T19:03:57Z")
I also endorse Trillian. And it’s working for me with Yahoo… if you are having trouble with it, check out their support at [http://trillian.cc](http://trillian.cc) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/8 "2004-09-28T19:19:07Z")
I’ve just signed up with trillian. I feel like I should be reading Volgon poetry. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-universal-instant-messenger-client/266291/9 "2004-09-28T19:40:22Z")
Well, there ya go, I was just going to throw in another vote for Trillian. I’ve tried Miranda and GAIM, and Trillian just works the best for me.