Chatterino is a free, open-source Twitch chat client with multi-channel tabs, third-party emotes, and deep customization. See features, pros, cons, and FAQs.
Category
Automation
Pricing
Free and open source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2016
Headquarters
Distributed / open-source community (no formal headquarters)
What Chatterino is and how it works
Chatterino is a standalone desktop application that connects to Twitch's chat infrastructure independently of the twitch.tv website, giving users a dedicated, lightweight window (or set of windows) purely for chat. Users log in with their Twitch account and can then open any number of channels as separate tabs, split panes within a single window, or entirely separate popped-out windows, which is especially useful for moderators or viewers who follow many streams at once. Because it is written with performance as a priority, Chatterino is designed to handle very high message throughput, such as during major esports or gaming events with tens of thousands of concurrent chatters, without the lag or dropped messages that can occur in a browser tab running Twitch's native chat.
Open-source, community-driven development
Unlike commercial chat tools, Chatterino is developed entirely in the open on GitHub under an open-source license, with its codebase, issue tracker, and roadmap publicly visible. This means updates, bug fixes, and new features are driven by a combination of core maintainers and community pull requests, and the tool has no company behind it selling subscriptions or collecting user data for commercial purposes. This model has helped Chatterino build trust within the Twitch community as a genuinely free tool, and it has enabled rapid support for evolving Twitch platform features and third-party emote services over the years.
Key Features
Multi-channel chat management — Open and manage many Twitch channels simultaneously via tabs, split views, or separate popped-out windows.
Third-party emote support — Renders emotes from BetterTTV, FrankerFaceZ, and 7TV in addition to native Twitch emotes.
Custom highlights and notifications — Set up highlight rules for specific keywords, usernames, or message patterns to catch important messages.
Message filtering — Hide unwanted messages, such as spam or bot output, using configurable filters.
Deep UI customization — Adjust themes, fonts, layout, and window arrangement to match a user's workflow.
Built-in moderation and utility commands — Includes shortcuts for common actions like blocking or unblocking users, clearing chat, and viewing chatter counts.
Lightweight, high-performance client — Optimized to stay responsive even with many high-traffic channels open at once.
Cross-platform support — Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free with no ads, subscriptions, or paid tiers
Open-source codebase is publicly auditable, building trust within the streaming community
Handles high-volume, multi-channel chat far more smoothly than Twitch's native web chat
Extensive support for third-party emote services that Twitch's own chat does not render
Highly customizable highlighting, filtering, and layout options for power users and moderators
Cons
Requires a separate desktop install rather than working directly in the browser like native Twitch chat
Customization depth can be overwhelming for casual users who just want simple chat
Being community-maintained, feature requests and bug fixes depend on volunteer contributor availability
Does not include native video playback, so it is used alongside, not instead of, watching the stream
Occasional compatibility lag when Twitch changes its underlying chat APIs, until maintainers can update
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chatterino free to use?
Yes. Chatterino is completely free and open source, with no subscriptions, ads, or paid tiers.
Does Chatterino support BetterTTV and 7TV emotes?
Yes. Chatterino natively integrates third-party emote services including BetterTTV (BTTV), FrankerFaceZ (FFZ), and 7TV, alongside standard Twitch emotes.
What platforms does Chatterino run on?
Chatterino is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD.
Is Chatterino safe and official?
Chatterino is not an official Twitch product, but it is a well-established, open-source third-party client with publicly auditable code on GitHub and a long track record within the Twitch streaming community.
Can I watch the Twitch stream inside Chatterino?
No. Chatterino focuses purely on chat functionality; users typically run it alongside a browser or the Twitch app to watch the actual video stream.
Why do streamers and moderators use Chatterino instead of Twitch's built-in chat?
Chatterino offers better performance during high-traffic streams, multi-channel management, custom highlights and filters, and support for third-party emotes, all of which the native Twitch chat lacks.
Who develops Chatterino?
Chatterino is developed openly on GitHub by a small team of maintainers along with community contributors, rather than by a commercial company.
Does Chatterino require a Twitch account?
Yes. Users log in with their existing Twitch account credentials to send messages and access channels, the same as they would through Twitch's own chat.