Meebo has become synonymous with web multi-protocol IM and most people have started to prefer it over specialized IM protocol or the applications. The freedom meebo provides to its users is sheer and thus rightfully holds the top place in the market of web based IM. As it always happens that when something becomes successful on web many imitators mushroom up from nowhere to bite the market share. Let’s take a look at some.

1. E buddy was the first web based IM (but it used to support MSN alone) and is perhaps the only serious competitor of meebo which in my opinion gives better interface than meebo. Ebuddy supports gtalk, yahoo IM, MSN, AIM and has also started to support myspace recently. Meebo doesn’t provide support on myspace and thus ebuddy clearly trumps meebo here. It pops up in separate window when you sign in any of the supported IM accountS. You can not log in invisible mode in those accounts which do not have this feature as of yet in their own IM applications (gtalk and AIM).

2. Imo.im is another web based instant messenger which is in its alpha stage and supports all the IM supported by ebuddy. It also has a standalone application for windows which you can install on your PC. Emo seems very promising as the guys behind this are working on providing a translate feature on it. They are on the verge of completing Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese translation feature and they will move over to other languages later on (as mentioned in their blog).

3. Imhaha.com is another web instant messenger which supports QQ which is very popular in China. It also supports other IM like MSN, Yahoo and AIM. It has a Chinese homepage as well.

4. IloveIM.com allows you to stay connected with MSN, Yahoo, AOL (AIM) and Gtalk messengers. The good thing about it is that you can also sign in invisible mode while it encrypts your password with 1024-bit RSA keys. It has an old MSN browser too which it still flaunts down the homepage.

5. RadiusIM brings the concept of social web into IM just like meebo where you can log on to yahoo, gtalk, msn and Aim while other Radius IM users can also ping you. You need to create a RadiusIM id before you can talk to your friends on MSN , AIM , Yahoo and gtalk. The same website also provides one facebook application.

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