Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use Right Now

WhatsApp has over 2 billion users globally, but it is not the right choice for everyone. Meta’s ownership, mandatory phone number registration, metadata collection, and the 2021 privacy policy update that sparked a mass exodus to competitors are all reasons people actively look for a WhatsApp alternative. Whether you want stronger encryption, no phone number requirement, better group features, or simply a different experience, there are more capable options available right now than at any point before.

This guide covers 50 real, actively maintained messaging apps that replace WhatsApp for personal use, team communication, private messaging, and everything in between. Apps that have been shut down or discontinued have been excluded — every app listed here is available to download and use today.

The Best WhatsApp Alternatives for Privacy and Security

1. Signal

Signal is the most privacy-respecting mainstream messaging app available. It uses the Signal Protocol for end-to-end encryption on every message, call, and file transfer by default — no settings to enable, no exceptions. It is run by a non-profit foundation with no advertising business model, collects virtually no metadata, and its entire codebase is open-source and publicly auditable. For users who want WhatsApp’s simplicity with none of Meta’s data practices, Signal is the definitive answer.

2. Threema

Threema is the strongest alternative for users who want messaging without a phone number or email address. It assigns each user a random Threema ID, meaning you can communicate completely anonymously. It is based in Switzerland under strict Swiss privacy law, end-to-end encrypts all messages and calls, and costs a one-time fee of $5.99 — no subscription, no ads, no data harvesting. For privacy-conscious users in Europe, Threema is frequently the top recommendation.

3. Wire

Wire supports registration with just an email address rather than a phone number, offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, and video calls, and is available across Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and web. Its enterprise tier is used by governments and regulated businesses in Europe for secure communications. The personal version is free and full-featured, making it one of the few apps that genuinely serves both individual and professional privacy needs in a single platform.

4. Session

Session is a decentralised messaging app that requires no phone number, no email address, and no personal information of any kind to create an account. It routes messages through a decentralised network of nodes rather than central servers, making it resistant to server seizure and surveillance. Session is derived from the Signal Protocol but has removed the dependency on centralised servers entirely. It is the strongest option for users with serious operational security concerns.

5. Element (formerly Riot)

Element is built on the Matrix open protocol, a decentralised communication standard that allows messages to be federated across independently operated servers rather than controlled by a single company. You can host your own Matrix server and communicate with users on any other Matrix server in the world. Element supports end-to-end encryption, large group rooms, voice and video calls, file sharing, and bridges to other platforms including Telegram, Discord, and Slack. For organisations that need full control over their communication infrastructure, Element is unmatched.

6. Briar

Briar is designed for extreme conditions — it can synchronise messages over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi without any internet connection, making it functional in environments where internet access is blocked or unavailable. When internet is available it routes traffic through Tor by default, adding an additional anonymisation layer. It is primarily used by journalists, activists, and users in regions with internet censorship, but it works for any user who wants genuinely offline-capable encrypted messaging.

7. Jami

Jami is a fully distributed peer-to-peer communication platform with no central servers — messages travel directly between devices using a distributed hash table. It supports text, voice calls, video calls, and file sharing across Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. No account registration is required and no data ever passes through a company-controlled server. The GNU Project maintains Jami as free software, making it one of the most technically independent communication tools available.

8. Tox

Tox is a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol with several client applications available across platforms. Like Jami, it operates without central servers — communication happens directly between users. It supports text chat, voice calls, video calls, and file transfers with end-to-end encryption built into the protocol itself. The main limitation is that both users need to be online simultaneously for message delivery since there is no server to hold messages when a recipient is offline.

Best WhatsApp Alternatives for Everyday Messaging

9. Telegram

Telegram is the most feature-rich WhatsApp alternative for everyday use, with group chats supporting up to 200,000 members, channels for broadcasting to unlimited subscribers, bots, file sharing up to 2GB per file, and a desktop app that syncs seamlessly across all devices. It is significantly faster than WhatsApp for file transfers and message delivery. One important distinction: standard Telegram chats are not end-to-end encrypted — only Secret Chats enable full encryption. For users who prioritise features over maximum privacy, Telegram is the strongest alternative. Users already familiar with using WhatsApp from a desktop or laptop will find Telegram’s desktop experience noticeably more capable.

10. Viber

Viber end-to-end encrypts all one-to-one messages and calls by default and supports group video calls with up to 20 participants. It has particularly strong adoption in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, making it a practical choice for international communication in those regions. Viber Out allows calling regular phone numbers at competitive international rates, which gives it a practical edge over pure internet-messaging apps for users who still need to reach non-smartphone users.

11. Line

Line is the dominant messaging app in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan, combining messaging, free voice and video calls, a social timeline, and a sticker marketplace in a single platform. Group video calls support up to 500 participants — one of the highest limits on any free app. Its OpenChat feature allows joining topic communities without revealing your phone number. For anyone communicating regularly with contacts in East or Southeast Asia, Line is often the expected platform rather than an alternative.

12. KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is South Korea’s dominant messaging app with over 53 million monthly active users, used by approximately 97% of smartphone users in South Korea. Beyond messaging and calls, it integrates with KakaoPay for mobile payments, KakaoBank for banking, and KakaoTaxi for ride-hailing — making it a super-app in its home market. Its encryption has been criticised by privacy researchers compared to Signal and Threema, but for communicating with Korean contacts it is effectively mandatory.

13. WeChat

WeChat is the dominant super-app in China with over 1.3 billion monthly active users, combining messaging, video calls, mobile payments, news, and mini-programs in a single app. Outside China its user base is concentrated among Chinese diaspora communities. Users outside China should understand that WeChat operates under Chinese data law and content regulations — it is not recommended for sensitive communications, but it is functionally necessary for maintaining contact with users based in mainland China.

14. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger’s main advantage is reach — if someone has a Facebook account, you can message them without exchanging phone numbers. It supports group video calls up to 50 participants and Messenger Rooms for calls without a Facebook account required for guests. End-to-end encryption requires manually enabling Secret Conversations and is not on by default, which is a meaningful privacy gap compared to Signal or WhatsApp. Users who want to understand what Messenger collects should review Facebook’s privacy settings before using it as a primary communication tool.

15. Google Chat

Google Chat is the direct replacement for Google Hangouts and integrates tightly with Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Meet for video calls. It is the natural choice for users already embedded in the Google Workspace ecosystem. Personal Google account holders can use it free with full messaging and video call functionality. It lacks end-to-end encryption for standard chats, which places it behind Signal and Telegram on privacy but ahead of many enterprise alternatives on ease of use within Google’s ecosystem.

16. iMessage

iMessage is Apple’s messaging platform built into every iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with end-to-end encryption on all Apple-to-Apple messages and FaceTime calls. It is not a WhatsApp replacement for Android users since it requires Apple hardware, but for users who communicate primarily within the Apple ecosystem it is the most seamlessly integrated private messaging option available. Messages sent to non-iPhone users fall back to unencrypted SMS, which is its primary practical limitation.

Best WhatsApp Alternatives for Teams and Business

17. Slack

Slack is the leading team communication platform for businesses, organising conversations into channels by topic, project, or team. It integrates with over 2,400 third-party tools including Google Drive, Salesforce, GitHub, and Zoom, making it the central hub for many organisations’ workflows. The free tier retains 90 days of message history and supports unlimited users and channels. For business communication replacing WhatsApp group chats, Slack’s channel structure and thread system produce significantly more organised conversations.

18. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the dominant enterprise communication platform for organisations using Microsoft 365, combining chat, video meetings, file collaboration, and app integrations in a single interface. Its free tier supports unlimited chat and meetings with up to 60 minutes per group call. For businesses already paying for Microsoft 365, Teams is included at no additional cost. Its mobile app handles video calls and file access well, making it a practical WhatsApp replacement for work communication on Android and iOS.

19. Lark

Lark, developed by ByteDance, combines messaging, video conferencing, document collaboration, and project management in a single platform with a generous free tier. Group video calls support up to 100 participants for 60 minutes on the free plan, and the integrated document editor allows real-time collaboration without switching to Google Docs or Office. It is gaining adoption particularly in Southeast Asia and among startups as a lower-cost alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.

20. Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex provides enterprise-grade security certifications that make it the preferred choice in regulated industries including finance, healthcare, and government. Its free tier supports unlimited meetings with up to 100 participants, end-to-end encryption, and 10GB of cloud storage. Webex’s compliance with FedRAMP, HIPAA, and GDPR requirements gives it a structural advantage over consumer messaging apps for organisations with strict data governance obligations.

21. Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat is an open-source team messaging platform that organisations can self-host on their own servers, giving complete control over data storage and access. It supports channels, direct messages, voice and video calls, file sharing, and integrations with external services through a Zapier-style automation system. The self-hosted version is free regardless of user count, making it cost-effective at scale for organisations that have the technical capacity to manage their own infrastructure.

22. Mattermost

Mattermost is another open-source, self-hostable team messaging platform built specifically for DevOps and engineering teams. It integrates with development tools including GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, and PagerDuty, and its compliance features satisfy the audit log and data retention requirements of regulated industries. The free self-hosted version supports unlimited users and message history, which gives it a significant cost advantage over Slack at scale.

23. Zulip

Zulip’s distinguishing feature is its topic-threaded conversation model, where every message within a channel also belongs to a named topic thread. This structure makes it significantly easier to follow multiple parallel conversations in a busy team channel than Slack or Teams, where older messages quickly become impossible to find. It is open-source, self-hostable, and free for unlimited users on the cloud version for open-source projects.

Best WhatsApp Alternatives Without a Phone Number

24. Threema Work

Threema Work is the enterprise version of Threema, adding centralised user management, MDM integration, and compliance features to Threema’s base privacy architecture. Like the personal version, it requires no phone number and assigns random IDs to users. It is used by Swiss government agencies and European enterprises that require legally compliant encrypted communication without the data risks of consumer messaging apps.

25. Wickr Me (via AWS)

Wickr was acquired by Amazon Web Services and its consumer product Wickr Me was shut down in 2023. However, Wickr Enterprise continues as an AWS service for organisations requiring high-security communications with end-to-end encryption, expiring messages, and no metadata collection. It is mentioned here to clarify that the consumer app is no longer available — users searching for the original Wickr should use Session or Signal as the nearest functional equivalents.

26. Keybase

Keybase links encrypted messaging to verified public identities — you can prove that a Keybase account belongs to a specific Twitter, GitHub, or domain owner through cryptographic proof. It supports end-to-end encrypted messaging, file storage, and team communication. Keybase was acquired by Zoom in 2020 and active development slowed, but the service remains operational and useful for users who need cryptographically verified identity alongside private messaging.

27. Dust

Dust (formerly Cyber Dust) focuses on ephemeral messaging — all messages automatically delete after being read or after 24 hours, whichever comes first. No messages are stored on Dust’s servers at any point. It is end-to-end encrypted and does not allow screenshots within the app on Android. The small but dedicated user base values the automatic deletion model for personal privacy rather than the permanent message history that most messaging apps maintain by default.

28. Confide

Confide is designed for confidential professional communication, with end-to-end encrypted messages that self-destruct after reading and screenshot protection that obscures message content if a screenshot is attempted. It gained attention among political consultants and journalists for its off-the-record communication capabilities. The app is available on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows, with a free tier for personal use and paid plans for teams.

Best Free WhatsApp Alternatives for Video Calling

29. Google Meet

Google Meet supports free group video calls with up to 100 participants with no time limit on one-to-one calls. It integrates directly with Google Calendar and Gmail, making it the lowest-friction video option for Android users with a Google account. Call quality is reliable on mobile connections through Google’s adaptive bitrate system, and guests can join through a browser link without installing any app. For users specifically looking for free video calling on Android, Google Meet’s combination of quality and accessibility is difficult to beat.

30. Zoom

Zoom’s free tier supports one-to-one calls with no time limit and group calls with up to 100 participants for 40 minutes. Its proprietary network protocol handles unstable connections better than most competitors, which makes it reliable on mobile data. Virtual backgrounds, screen sharing, and meeting recording are all available on the free tier. For personal video calls where the other party may not want to install an unfamiliar app, Zoom’s browser-join option removes the installation barrier entirely.

31. Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing platform that requires no account or registration — start a meeting by entering a room name, share the link, and participants join through a browser or the app. It supports unlimited participants, end-to-end encryption, screen sharing, and recording. For privacy-focused users who want video calling without creating an account on any commercial platform, Jitsi is the strongest freely available option.

More WhatsApp Alternatives Worth Knowing

32. Snapchat

Snapchat’s ephemeral model — content disappears after viewing — makes it a genuinely different communication experience from WhatsApp. It supports one-to-one and group video calls with up to 16 participants, real-time AR filters, and Stories for broadcasting to your contact list. Its user base skews younger, and its strength is casual, low-pressure interaction rather than structured messaging. It is not a privacy-forward alternative — Snapchat’s data practices are similar to other ad-supported platforms.

33. Discord

Discord’s Server structure creates persistent communities with dedicated channels for different topics, voice rooms users can drop in and out of freely, and video calls supporting up to 25 participants on the free tier. It started as a gaming platform but is now used by hobby communities, study groups, and remote teams across every category. Its audio recording capabilities and channel organisation make it more suitable for active communities than WhatsApp groups.

34. Skype

Skype remains relevant as a cross-platform video calling tool that supports calls to regular phone numbers at low international rates — a feature most messaging apps do not offer. Group video calls support up to 100 participants on the free tier. Its user base has declined relative to WhatsApp and Zoom, but it remains widely installed globally and is a reliable fallback for reaching contacts on any device including desktop computers without smartphone apps.

35. Kik

Kik allows registration and messaging without a phone number, using only a username, which historically made it popular among younger users who wanted anonymous messaging. It supports text, photo, video, and GIF sharing as well as group chats. Kik’s moderation challenges and association with anonymous communication have shaped its reputation, but the no-phone-number registration model remains its primary practical distinction from WhatsApp.

36. Trillian

Trillian is a multi-protocol messaging client that aggregates conversations from different networks into a single interface. It supports its own messaging network alongside connections to other services, and its business version offers team messaging with message archiving for compliance. It is one of the few remaining apps from the early internet messaging era that has survived and adapted to the smartphone era with functional mobile apps.

37. TextNow

TextNow provides a free US or Canadian phone number for SMS and calls over Wi-Fi, making it effectively a free second phone number for users who want to message without using their primary number. It works on Android, iOS, and desktop, and the free tier is supported by ads. For users who want to communicate via SMS with people who do not use messaging apps, TextNow fills a gap that pure internet messaging apps cannot.

38. Google Voice

Google Voice assigns a free US phone number that forwards calls and texts to your existing phone, allowing you to communicate via SMS and voice calls without revealing your personal number. It is not a messaging app in the WhatsApp sense — it operates over the public telephone network rather than internet protocols — but as a number-based privacy layer for communications it serves a distinct and practical purpose.

39. Pushbullet

Pushbullet syncs notifications, SMS messages, and files between your Android phone and desktop computer, allowing you to reply to text messages from your PC without picking up your phone. It is less a WhatsApp replacement and more a desktop extension for Android messaging. For users who spend most of their day at a computer and want to handle all messaging from a keyboard, Pushbullet’s notification mirroring reduces phone dependency significantly. The ability to manage and block text messages on Android pairs naturally with Pushbullet’s desktop SMS management.

40. Beeper

Beeper aggregates messages from multiple platforms — WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, Instagram, Discord, and others — into a single unified inbox. Rather than replacing WhatsApp, it sits above it, allowing you to manage all your messaging apps from one interface. This is particularly useful for users who maintain accounts on multiple platforms and want to reduce the app-switching overhead of checking each one separately.

41. Viber Communities

Beyond Viber’s standard messaging, its Communities feature supports unlimited members in public or private groups — a significant step beyond WhatsApp’s 1,024-member group limit. Community admins have granular controls over who can post, reply, and manage the group. For organisations managing large communities or fan groups where WhatsApp’s group size cap is a genuine limitation, Viber Communities is the most direct replacement.

42. Talky

Talky is a browser-based video and audio calling tool that requires no account, no download, and no installation. Create a room with a custom URL and share it — anyone with the link can join from any browser on any device. It is built on WebRTC, the open standard that powers most browser-based video calling. For quick, one-off video calls with people who are not going to install a new app, Talky removes every possible barrier.

43. Wickr RAM (AWS)

Wickr RAM (Recall, Accountability, and Management) is the government and defence-grade version of Wickr, available through AWS GovCloud. It meets the security requirements for classified and sensitive government communications. This is relevant context for organisations evaluating high-security WhatsApp alternatives for defence or intelligence applications — the consumer Wickr is gone, but the enterprise and government products continue under Amazon’s ownership.

44. Silence

Silence is an open-source SMS and MMS app for Android that encrypts text messages between two Silence users using the Signal Protocol. Unlike Signal, it works over SMS infrastructure rather than the internet — meaning it functions without a data connection and does not require both users to have a smartphone internet plan. For users in areas with reliable SMS coverage but limited data access, Silence provides encrypted messaging where Signal cannot.

45. Status

Status is a decentralised messaging app built on the Ethereum blockchain, designed for the Web3 ecosystem. It combines encrypted messaging with a cryptocurrency wallet and a decentralised browser in a single app. Accounts are generated from cryptographic keys rather than phone numbers or email addresses, making it one of the most technically anonymous options available. Its user base is primarily composed of cryptocurrency and blockchain developers and enthusiasts.

46. Wickr Pro

Wickr Pro, also now under AWS, provides team messaging with end-to-end encryption, configurable message expiration, and compliance-grade audit logging for regulated business environments. Unlike consumer messaging apps, every message has a configurable retention period after which it is automatically and permanently deleted from all devices and servers. For legal, financial, or healthcare teams that need to balance communication with data minimisation obligations, this automatic deletion model addresses compliance requirements that WhatsApp cannot.

47. Riot (now Element)

Riot was rebranded as Element in 2020 and is listed earlier in this guide under its current name. Users who find references to Riot online should understand it is the same app — the underlying Matrix protocol, the server federation model, and the end-to-end encryption capabilities are all identical. Element is the current and actively maintained version.

48. RetroShare

RetroShare is a decentralised communication platform that creates an encrypted private network between friends. Unlike most apps on this list, RetroShare routes all traffic through a friend-to-friend network — you only connect directly to people you have manually added and verified. It supports messaging, forums, file sharing, and voice over its private network. It is technically demanding to set up but provides a genuinely isolated communication environment for users who want complete separation from commercial infrastructure.

49. Pidgin

Pidgin is a multi-protocol desktop instant messaging client that supports XMPP, IRC, and other open protocols. It is relevant for users who want to connect to self-hosted XMPP servers or IRC networks for messaging without using any commercial platform. The OTR (Off-the-Record) plugin adds end-to-end encryption to XMPP conversations. Pidgin is a Linux and Windows desktop application — it does not have an official mobile app, which limits its practical relevance for mobile-first communication.

50. Matrix Protocol (Self-Hosted)

The Matrix open protocol, which underlies Element, can be accessed through multiple client applications beyond Element itself — including FluffyChat, Nheko, and Cinny. Self-hosting a Matrix homeserver gives complete control over message storage, user accounts, and data retention. The federation model means self-hosted server users can still communicate with users on other Matrix servers globally, combining the control of self-hosting with the reach of a networked protocol. For technically capable organisations or individuals who want complete independence from commercial messaging infrastructure, a self-hosted Matrix server is the most thorough WhatsApp replacement available.

Which WhatsApp Alternative Should You Choose?

If privacy is your primary concern, Signal is the correct answer for most people. It requires a phone number but collects essentially no metadata, uses the strongest available encryption protocol, and is operated by a non-profit with no advertising revenue. If you cannot share your phone number, Threema is the next best option — anonymous by design and based in Switzerland under strong privacy law.

For everyday use where privacy is a secondary concern and features matter more, Telegram offers the best combination of speed, group size, file sharing, and cross-platform availability. Its lack of default end-to-end encryption for standard chats is a real limitation compared to WhatsApp, but its functionality significantly exceeds it.

For teams replacing WhatsApp group chats in a work context, Slack and Microsoft Teams both offer structured communication that scales better than any messaging app group chat. The channel and thread model prevents the information loss that inevitably occurs in busy WhatsApp groups where important messages scroll out of view within hours.

The right choice ultimately depends on who you are communicating with. The best WhatsApp alternative is the one your contacts will actually install and use. Signal is ideal if you can persuade your network to switch. For broader reach without requiring anyone to change apps, Telegram’s large existing user base makes the transition frictionless for most people.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which app is the best replacement for WhatsApp?

Signal is the best direct replacement for users prioritising privacy — it matches WhatsApp’s core features of text, voice, video, and group messaging while offering significantly stronger privacy protections. For users who want more features without the privacy focus, Telegram is the most capable alternative. For business communication, Slack or Microsoft Teams replace WhatsApp group chats more effectively than any consumer messaging app.

Which WhatsApp alternative does not require a phone number?

Threema, Session, Jami, Element, and Briar all operate without a phone number requirement. Threema assigns a random ID, Session generates a cryptographic key pair, and Jami and Element use username or server-based accounts. Session and Briar offer the strongest anonymity since they also route traffic through decentralised networks without revealing your IP address to the recipient.

Is Telegram safer than WhatsApp?

For standard chats, WhatsApp is actually safer than Telegram because WhatsApp end-to-end encrypts all messages by default while Telegram only encrypts Secret Chats end-to-end. Standard Telegram messages are encrypted in transit and at rest on Telegram’s servers, but Telegram holds the encryption keys — meaning Telegram can technically access message content. For maximum security, Signal outperforms both.

Can I use multiple messaging apps at once?

Yes, and most people do. Beeper is the most practical tool for managing multiple messaging platforms from a single inbox. Alternatively, keeping two or three apps installed — Signal for private contacts, Telegram for communities and file sharing, and WhatsApp for contacts who have not switched — covers most communication needs without any single app being a bottleneck.

Are WhatsApp alternatives free?

The majority of alternatives listed here are free to download and use. Signal, Telegram, Element, Jitsi Meet, Google Chat, Discord, and most others have no cost for personal use. Threema charges a one-time $5.99 fee. Business and enterprise versions of Slack, Microsoft Teams, Lark, and Mattermost have paid tiers, though all offer functional free tiers for small teams or personal use.