WhatsApp Alternatives

WhatsApp is described as 'Free messaging without SMS fees, web sync, and multimedia sharing, supporting group and video chats, available on iPhone, Android, and desktop' and is a leading instant messenger in the social & communications category. There are more than 100 alternatives to WhatsApp for a variety of platforms, including Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Web-based apps. The best WhatsApp alternative is Signal, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like WhatsApp are Telegram, Element, Wire and Tox.

filter to find the best alternatives

WhatsApp alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers, but if you're looking for Group Chat Apps or Encrypted Chat Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Apple Watch, EU, Open Source, Windows Phone, Self-Hosted, Blackberry and Android. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to WhatsApp.
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WhatsApp alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. ChatSecure icon
     69 likes

    ChatSecure is a free and open source messaging app that features OTR encryption over XMPP. You can connect to your existing accounts on Facebook or Google, create new accounts on public XMPP servers(including via Tor), or even connect to your own server for extra security.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  2. Gajim icon
     67 likes

    The goal of Gajim is to provide a full featured and easy to use XMPP client. Gajim works nicely with GNOME, but does not require it to run. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Xfce
    • Flathub
     
  3. Xabber icon
     53 likes

    Open source Jabber (XMPP) client with multi-account support, clean and simple interface. Being both free (as in freedom!) and ad-free, Xabber is designed to be the best Jabber client for Android .

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
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    1
    Comments about Xabber as an Alternative to WhatsApp
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Free communication protocol

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Xabber icon
    Xabber icon
    • Xabber is Free and Open SourceWhatsApp is Free and Proprietary
  4. Speek! icon
     12 likes

    Speek! is the first messenger that is anonymous and censorship-resistant by design. Speek! messenger encrypts all messages and is secure, private and decentralized.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
     
  5. Tinode icon
     10 likes

    Fully open source instant messaging server and clients. No proprietary components or non-free dependencies. Backend in pure Go (GPL 3.0), with a command-line administration tool in python + gRPC. Clients for Android, iPhone, and Web - ReactJS (all licensed under Apache 2.0).

    160 Tinode alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
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    2
    Comments about Tinode as an Alternative to WhatsApp
    geneso
    Positive
    0

    Most feature-complete replacement.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Completely open source and free end-to-end. Download and run.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Tinode icon
    Tinode icon
    • Tinode is Free and Open SourceWhatsApp is Free and Proprietary
  6. Kik icon
     56 likes

    Kik is way more than just messaging. It’s the easiest way to connect with your friends, stay in the loop, and explore – all through chat. No phone numbers, just pick a username.

    92 Kik alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Kindle Fire
     
  7. KakaoTalk icon
     30 likes

    KakaoTalk is a phone number based messenger service that allows users anywhere in the world to chat one-to-one or in a group for free. (no SMS service)

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Wear
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  8. Snapchat icon
     94 likes

    A playful and interactive multimedia messaging app offering ephemeral photo and video sharing. Control view time, get alerts for screenshots, and engage with friends through gamified interactions and video calls.

    125 Snapchat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
     
  9. Olvid icon
     10 likes

    The most secure messaging app in the world.

    159 Olvid alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
    |
    1
    Comments about Olvid as an Alternative to WhatsApp
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's a very good alternative to whatsapp because it's end-to-end encrypted, open-source, no backdoor, no ad. Olvid care about privacy and don't need any information to use it.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Olvid icon
    Olvid icon
    • Olvid is Freemium and Open SourceWhatsApp is Free and Proprietary
    • Olvid is Privacy focusedWhatsApp is not according to our users
  10. Sphinx Chat icon
     4 likes

    Sphinx.chat lets you use your lightning node to talk to anyone else who is running lightning and a sphinx compatible chat client.

    65 Sphinx Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
     
  11. Silence IM icon
     54 likes

    Protect your communication in transit and on your phone. Silence (formerly SMSSecure) is a full replacement for the default text messaging application: all messages are encrypted locally and messages to other Silence users are encrypted over the air.

    66 Silence IM alternatives

    Cost / License

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Android
     
    |
    1
    Comments about Silence IM as an Alternative to WhatsApp
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Silence encrypts traditional SMS, it's not an internet messaging service like Whatsapp. And it only encrypts message content, your carrier can still see who you are texting and when.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Silence IM icon
    Silence IM icon
    • Silence IM is Free and Open SourceWhatsApp is Free and Proprietary
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