The Best Tox AlternativesTop Instant Messengers & Video Calling Apps like Tox

Tox is described as 'With the rise of widespread government monitoring programs, Tox is an easy to use application that allows you to connect with friends and loved ones without anyone else listening in' and is a leading instant messenger in the social & communications category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Tox for a variety of platforms, including Android, Windows, iPhone, Linux and Mac apps. The best Tox alternative is Signal, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Tox are Telegram, Element, Discord and Jami.

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Alternatives list

  1. Signal icon

    Signal

     1363 likes

    An open-source messaging app emphasizing privacy with encrypted communication. Share texts, calls, photos, and videos without ads or trackers, available across major platforms. Developed by Signal Technology Foundation and praised globally for security measures.

    216 Signal alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Snapcraft
    Signal screenshot 1
     
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    27
    Comments about Signal as an Alternative to Tox
    WestFlame
    Positive
    13

    Currently is intended mainly for mobile devices.

    chopin2712
    Positive
    10

    I love signal but Signal cannot be used without phone and I don't like this idea. I use Signal only for my phone. not my computer but it's good!

    Foad
    Negative
    0

    Tox is for mesh networking

    3 of 4 comments
    Tox Icon
    Signal icon

    • Most users think Signal is a great Tox alternative.

    • Signal is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Tox.

    • Signal is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Tox.

    • Signal is Free and Open SourceTox is also Free and Open Source
  2. Telegram icon

    Telegram

     2079 likes

    Maximize your messaging experience with efficient communication, speedy delivery, and optional end-to-end encrypted Secret Chats. Engage in unlimited channels and groups up to 200,000 members. Enhance chat management and media sharing with Telegram Premium and its exclusive benefits. All core features remain free.

    287 Telegram alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Auto
    • Linux Mobile
    • Android Wear
    • PortableApps.com
    • FreeBSD
    • Apple Car Play
    Telegram Desktop
     
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    5
    27
    Comments about Telegram as an Alternative to Tox
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    11

    It's not open source and they've made some questionable decisions lately such as banning anything vaguely defined as "adult content" from appearing in searches.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    alpeg
    7

    Tox is fully P2P and always end-to-end encrypted. Telegram is not open source (published source differs from play store app), uses it's own server, requires a phone number and non-desktop app to register, most chats are not e2e-encrypted, secret chats are not available on desktop and web.

    Foad
    Negative
    0

    Tox is for mesh networking

    3 of 5 comments
    Tox Icon
    Telegram icon

    • Some users think Telegram is a great Tox alternative, some don't.

    • Telegram is the most popular Web-based & Android Tablet alternative to Tox.

    • Telegram is Freemium and ProprietaryTox is Free and Open Source
  4. Element icon

    Element

     773 likes

    Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.

    302 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Snapcraft
    Video calls for desktop and mobile
     
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    5
    24
    Comments about Element as an Alternative to Tox
    Top Positive Comment
    joshuahumbert
    5

    Decentralized messenger which supports audio and video calling as well as group chats and offline messaging.

    Top Negative Comment
    Foad
    0

    Tox is for mesh networking

    Darren de Lima
    Positive
    0

    Federated, though not completely P2P, and a pain to set up.

    3 of 5 comments
    Tox Icon
    Element icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Element is a great Tox alternative.

    • Element is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Tox.

    • Element is Free Personal and Open SourceTox is Free and Open Source
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    RINGR

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  6. Discord icon

    Discord

     1110 likes

    An integrated platform for text and voice communications. Offers tailored channels for different topics, customizable moderation tools, low latency for fluency, and managed user roles for optimal community facilitation.

    192 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Desktop UI
     
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    7
    21
    Comments about Discord as an Alternative to Tox
    Top Positive Comment
    RemovedUser
    0

    Discord is proprietary and not peer to peer. It is not a valid alternative to Tox.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    crazypens30
    50

    Discord isn't anonymity or privacy-oriented, whereas Tox is.

    Foad
    Negative
    0

    Tox is for mesh networking

    3 of 7 comments
    Tox Icon
    Discord icon

    • Some users think Discord is a great Tox alternative, some don't.

    • Discord is Freemium and ProprietaryTox is Free and Open Source
  7. Jami icon

    Jami

     237 likes

    Jami (formerly GNU Ring, SFLphone) positions itself as a potential free Skype replacement

    160 Jami alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Jami video conference OS X
     
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    3
    19
    Comments about Jami as an Alternative to Tox
    UsernameUn
    Positive
    1

    Decentralized and encrypted. Available on all major devices. There is video conferencing and the ability to show a desktop.

    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Its more decentralized than Tox is, and that is a great thing that it has over it. The only issue is that this is alpha software.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Negative
    0

    Jami is not peer to peer, therefore it is not a valid alternative to Tox.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Tox Icon
    Jami icon

    • Most users think Jami is a great Tox alternative.

    • Jami is Free and Open SourceTox is also Free and Open Source
  8. Mumble icon

    Mumble

     480 likes

    Mumble was the first and is the most successful and wide spread free and open source software for VoIP. It was the first VoIP software to provide low-latency audio suitable for gaming, and at the same time was a pioneer in high audio quality.

    50 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Mumble 1.2.3 Release Candidate – some users in different channels
     
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    2
    13
    Comments about Mumble as an Alternative to Tox
    Darren de Lima
    Positive
    0

    P2P messenger, very similar to Tox. Tox has a better UI, is less hassle to set up, and scales to the WWW more easily.

    RemovedUser
    Negative
    0

    Not peer to peer like Tox.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Tox Icon
    Mumble icon

    • Most users think Mumble is a great Tox alternative.

    • Mumble is Free and Open SourceTox is also Free and Open Source
  10. SimpleX Chat icon

    SimpleX Chat

     90 likes

    SimpleX - the most private and secure chat and applications platform - now with double ratchet E2E encryption! Built on Haskell with Love and Coffee.

    69 SimpleX Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 1
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 2
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 3
     
  11. Wire icon

    Wire

     313 likes

    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    282 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Wire screenshot 1
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3
     
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    14

    • Almost everyone thinks Wire is a great Tox alternative.

    • Wire is the most popular SaaS alternative to Tox.

    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceTox is Free and Open Source
  12. Session icon

    Session

     119 likes

    Decentralized messenger featuring end-to-end encryption for individual and group chats, no registration needed, no tracking or metadata logs, IP address protection, secure attachment sharing, multi-device sync, dark mode, open-source code, and ad-free use.

    74 Session alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Session screenshot 1
    Session screenshot 2
    Session screenshot 3
     
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    1
    27
    Comments about Session as an Alternative to Tox
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Not quite ready yet but when the few existing bugs are sorted will be rated the best

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Tox Icon
    Session icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Session is a great Tox alternative.

    • Session is Free and Open SourceTox is also Free and Open Source
  13. Threema icon

    Threema

     137 likes

    Threema is a new mobile messaging app that puts security first. With true end-to-end encryption, you can rest assured that only you and the intended recipient can read your messages.

    122 Threema alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
    Threema screenshot 1
    Threema screenshot 2
    Threema screenshot 3
     

    • Threema is the most popular commercial alternative to Tox.

    • Threema is Paid and Open SourceTox is Free and Open Source
  14. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     265 likes

    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    222 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Zulip screenshot 1
     
  15. Utopia icon

    Utopia

     196 likes

    Utopia P2P Ecosystem. Utopia is a feature-rich platform that is specifically designed to protect privacy of communication, confidentiality, and security of personal data. Utopia is a decentralized network, with no central server involved in data transmission or storage.

    52 Utopia alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Take advantage of uMail - a secure alternative to classic email.
     
12 of 212 Tox alternatives