I want to stop using WhatsApp because I fuckin hate it. Does anyone use XMPP regularly? It allows encryption so I was considering it.
The consideration is whether I will have to self host it or I can use some publicly hosted instances (like how there are open Matrix instances). Also whether it has support for desktop clients that run natively on Loonix without electron.
Please share your thoughts if you have experience. Feel free to suggest other alternatives too. I won’t mind that.
XMPP is an open protocol, meaning that it can be integrated in any app you build around it, which also means that it can only be as good as the app turns out to be. The great strength of XMPP lies in its flexibility, so naturally there is a whole bunch of apps to choose from, also for desktop, like Adium or Pidgin
These are not generally good recommendations for XMPP desktop clients these days. Both have have experienced slow/inactive development in recent years, and don’t support modern XMPP features such as end-to-end encryption and multi-device synchronization. Pidgin is showing interest in catching up again, but I’ve no idea about plans for Adium’s future.
Good clients to recommend these days: Gajim or Dino (both Linux / Windows) or Beagle (MacOS). There are also web clients such as Movim.