Smartphone Messaging Apps

Having a computer in your pocket is the norm nowadays with the proliferation of smartphones. That means that communicating over the Internet with specialized apps has become the norm as well. After all, why potentially subject yourself to international calling fees and poor cell reception when you can just call someone using WhatsApp or Telegram or Signal and not pay any money at all for substantially better audio quality?

Those three apps and more can be found on this page and provide free and easy-to-use interfaces to send text-based messages; attach photos, videos, and music; and make free voice (and oftentimes even video!) calls internationally.

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  1. Signal icon
     1275 likes

    An encrypted messaging app focused on privacy, supporting texts, calls, photos, videos, files, and group chats, with no ads or trackers.

    • Instant Messenger
    • FreeOpen Source
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    Signal screenshot 1
    Best alternatives are Element iconElementandTox iconTox219 alternatives
  2. Telegram icon
     2049 likes

    Experience instant messaging with remarkable speed and robust security. Join massive group chats or channels. Enjoy free and advanced features.

    • Instant Messenger
    • FreemiumProprietary
    • 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
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandElement iconElement295 alternatives
  3. WhatsApp icon
     843 likes

    Free messaging without SMS fees, web sync, and multimedia sharing, supporting group and video chats, available on iPhone, Android, and desktop.

    • Instant Messenger
    • FreeProprietary
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Wear
    • Android Auto
    • Apple Car Play
    WhatsApp screenshot 1
    WhatsApp screenshot 2
    WhatsApp screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram251 alternatives
  4. Wire icon
     308 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.

    • Instant Messenger
    • Free PersonalOpen Source
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Wire screenshot 1
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram280 alternatives
  5. Briar icon
     96 likes

    An open-source decentralized and encrypted messaging app even without internet connection via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Messages are stored securely on your device, not in the cloud. Connect directly with nearby contacts - no Internet access is required.

    Briar screenshot 1
    Briar screenshot 2
    Briar screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram74 alternatives
  6. Rakuten Viber icon
     335 likes

    Free and secure calls and messages to anyone, anywhere.

    • Video Calling App
    • FreemiumProprietary
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Android Wear
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Linux
    Rakuten Viber screenshot 1
    Rakuten Viber screenshot 2
    Rakuten Viber screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram166 alternatives
  7. Messenger icon
     231 likes

    Offers group video calls, voice calls, and instant messaging with photo sharing, real-time notifications, and location mapping for seamless connectivity.

    • Instant Messenger
    • FreeProprietary
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Android Auto
    • Android Wear
    Messenger screenshot 1
    Messenger screenshot 2
    Messenger screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram203 alternatives
  8. Berty icon
     15 likes

    Berty is a secure peer-to-peer messaging app that works with or without internet access, cellular data or trust in the network. Berty is a privacy-first messaging application built on top of the Berty Protocol.

    Berty screenshot 1
    Berty screenshot 2
    Berty screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandMatrix iconMatrix43 alternatives
  9. WeChat icon
     106 likes

    WeChat is a complete mobile communication and private social networking app. Free, cross-platform, and full-featured, WeChat is the best way to keep in touch with everyone you care about.

    • Instant Messenger
    • FreemiumProprietary
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    WeChat screenshot 1
    WeChat screenshot 2
    WeChat screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram160 alternatives
  10. 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.

    Kik screenshot 1
    Stream and interact with your viewers in the live-chat or invite them in the guestbox.
    Kik screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram100 alternatives
  11. Quicksy icon
     11 likes

    A spin-off of the popular Jabber/XMPP client Conversations with automatic contact discovery.

    Quicksy screenshot 1
    Quicksy screenshot 2
    Quicksy screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandWhatsApp iconWhatsApp43 alternatives
  12. Kaidan icon
     4 likes

    Kaidan is a simple, user-friendly Jabber/XMPP client providing a modern user interface using Kirigami and QtQuick. The back-end of Kaidan is written in C++ using the QXmpp XMPP client library and Qt 5.

    Kaidan screenshot 1
    Best alternatives are Element iconElementandPidgin iconPidgin79 alternatives
  13. Whatsie icon
     8 likes

    Feature rich WhatsApp web client based on Qt WebEngine for Linux Desktop

    Whatsie Key features

    Light and Dark Themes with automatic switching Customized Notifications & Native Notifications Keyboard Shortcuts BuiltIn download manager Mute Audio, Disable N.

    Whatsie screenshot 1
    Best alternatives are WhatsApp iconWhatsAppandTinode iconTinode22 alternatives
  14. Plus Messenger icon
     18 likes

    Plus Messenger is an messaging app that uses Telegram 's API. Plus Messenger has all of Telegram's features plus themes. Plus Messenger is free for android devices.

    Plus Messenger screenshot 1
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandTelegram iconTelegram59 alternatives
  15. Tango icon
     30 likes

    Tango allows you to easily connect with friends & family or make new friends. Make video & voice calls, send text messages, play games, send music messages powered by Spotify and more all for free.

    Tango screenshot 1
    Tango screenshot 2
    Tango screenshot 3
    Best alternatives are Signal iconSignalandWhatsApp iconWhatsApp97 alternatives