BitlBee is an open source IRC gateway program for a variety of instant messaging protocols.
This software acts as a IRC server, creates a IRC “channel” with all your contacts and allows you to talk to them as if they were normal IRC users.
It is also possible to combine BitlBee with web browser IRC clients such as cgi-irc.
Key Features
- Supports the following protocols:
- XMPP/Jabber (including Google Talk and Hipchat).
- Skype.
- AIM.
- ICQ.
- Multiple channels.
- Contact groups.
- Groupchats.
- nick_format.
- libpurple.
- File transfers.
- Themes/Skins.
- Plugin system.
- Message Logging.
- Offline messaging.
- It supports the display of remote user status using the IRC voice attribute: online users are shown with voice, away users are shown without.
- Unicode support.
Website: www.bitlbee.org
Support: Quickstart Guide, Wiki, GitHub
Developer: BitlBee team
License: GNU General Public License v2.0

BitlBee is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Console Based XMPP Clients | |
|---|---|
| Profanity | OTR, PGP and OMEMO encryption, inspired by Irssi |
| Poezio | Python based console based Jabber/XMPP client |
| mcabber | Small client with SASL/SSL/TLS support, MUC support, and more |
| Freetalk | Similar to Emacs, you can customize and extend Freetalk with Scheme language |
| BitlBee | IRC gateway program for a variety of instant messaging protocol |
| BarnOwl | IM client forked from the ktools owl |
| CenterIM | Uses the libpurple library as a communication backend |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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