The Best Franz AlternativesTop Instant Messengers and other similar apps like Franz

Franz is described as 'Free messaging app / former Emperor of Austria and combines chat & messaging services into one application. Franz currently supports Slack, WhatsApp, WeChat, HipChat and many more. You can download Franz for Mac, Windows & Linux' and is a very popular instant messenger in the social & communications category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Franz for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Linux, Windows, Web-based and Android apps. The best Franz alternative is Rambox, which is free. Other great apps like Franz are Station, Beeper, Ferdium and ElectronIM.

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Franz alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers but may also be Video Calling Apps or Group Chat Apps.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Franz.
Franz iconFranz
  118
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Franz is a free messaging app / former Emperor of Austria and combines chat & messaging services into one application. Franz currently supports Slack, WhatsApp, WeChat, HipChat and many more. You can download Franz for...

More about Franz
Franz alternatives page was last updated Aug 17, 2023
  1. Rambox icon
     132 likes

    Free and Cross Platform messaging and emailing app that combines common web applications into one.

    34 Rambox alternatives
    Version 0.x (Open Source)

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Rambox Features

    1.  Web application wrapper
    2. Instagram icon  Instagram integration
    3.  Support for Multiple protocols
    4. Skype icon  Skype integration
    5.  Portable
    6.  Multiple Account support
    7.  Multi-messenger
    8.  Active discord support system
    9.  Built-in themes
    Rambox iconFranz Icon

    Rambox VS Franz

    Is Rambox a good alternative to Franz?
     
    Comments about Rambox as an Alternative to Franz
     
       
    syntax

    Very similar concept. Rambox is also open-source and supports more applications.

    Top positive commentFeb 9, 2017
    10
    javaorca

    Doesn't have problems with notifications for whatsapp and google chat as Franz has

    Positive commentJun 9, 2020
    -1
    RemovedUser

    It's better, open-source, and cheaper.

    Positive commentOct 9, 2019
    -3
    Show more comments
    3 of 9 comments
    Franz Icon
    Rambox icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Rambox is a great Franz alternative.

    • Rambox is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Franz.

    • Rambox is the most popular free alternative to Franz.

    • Rambox is Freemium and ProprietaryFranz is Freemium and Open Source
  2. Station icon
     99 likes

    Station is the first open-source smart browser for busy people. A single place for all of your web applications.

    28 Station alternatives
    Station screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Brave

    Station Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  App integration
    3.  Slack client
    4.  Integrated Search
    5.  Open API
    6.  Knowledge Management
    7.  Live Push Notifications
    8.  Team Messaging
    Station iconFranz Icon

    Station VS Franz

    Is Station a good alternative to Franz?
     
    Comments about Station as an Alternative to Franz
     
       
    Guest

    Beautiful design and more easy to configure, right. A lot of apps, right. But, no languages support (only english) and really not consume less ram. On my test : 4 services connected on both (Franz and Station), Station takes about 2,1 Go of Ram ! Franz consume 700 mo. In comparision, I have also 30 opened tabs in Chrome and it consume about 1 Go of my Ram.

    Positive commentApr 18, 2019
    3
    Guest

    400+ apps. Very modern design. It has also a notifications manager.

    Positive commentAug 29, 2018
    0
    Guest

    Had the services I wanted that Franz didn't, even with its recipes some apps were impossible to add.

    Positive commentDec 19, 2019
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Franz Icon
    Station icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Station is a great Franz alternative.

    • Station is the most popular Open Source alternative to Franz.

    • Station is Free and Open SourceFranz is Freemium and Open Source
  3. Beeper icon
     62 likes

    Access all your messaging in one place with a universal app connecting WhatsApp, Messenger, and more across Android, iOS, and desktop. Enjoy real-time sync and intuitive management.

    19 Beeper alternatives
    Beeper screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for Multiple protocols
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Telegram
    4.  Sms from PC
    5.  Slack client
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  IMessage
    8.  Multiple Account support
    9.  End-to-End Encryption
    10. WhatsApp icon  Whatsapp integration
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Unified inbox
    Beeper iconFranz Icon

    Beeper VS Franz

    Is Beeper a good alternative to Franz?
     
    • Beeper is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad, Android Tablet & Self-Hosted alternative to Franz.

    • Beeper is Free and ProprietaryFranz is Freemium and Open Source
    • Beeper is Privacy focusedFranz is not according to our users
  4. Ferdium icon
     55 likes

    All your services in one place, built by the community.

    27 Ferdium alternatives
    Services

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Unified messaging
    2.  Workspaces
    3.  Multiple languages
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Unified communications
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  Ad-free
    Ferdium iconFranz Icon

    Ferdium VS Franz

    Is Ferdium a good alternative to Franz?
     
    Comments about Ferdium as an Alternative to Franz
     
    Grant Cruickshank

    It's Ferdi after the Ferdi developer threw a wobbly and walked away (Ferdi being forked from Franz after THAT developer started pricing a little too aggressively). If you liked Ferdi you'll like Ferdium 'cos it's the same, innit. Ferdium seems to be still getting updates but its future is anyone's guess at this point.

    Positive commentJun 20, 2022
    0
    Franz Icon
    Ferdium icon
    • Ferdium is Free and Open SourceFranz is Freemium and Open Source
    • Ferdium is Lightweight and Privacy focusedFranz is not according to our users
  5. ElectronIM icon
     5 likes

    Free open source Electron based multi instant messaging (IM) client.

    Combine all your IM applications (or whatever you want) in a single browser (Electron) window.

    6 ElectronIM alternatives
    Twitter in ElectronIM

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Spell Checking
    2.  Multiple Account support
    3. WhatsApp icon  Whatsapp integration
    4.  Portable
    5.  Multiplatform
    6.  Notifications
    7.  Telegram
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  Multi-messenger
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Dark Mode
    ElectronIM iconFranz Icon

    ElectronIM VS Franz

    Is ElectronIM a good alternative to Franz?
     
  6. Empathy icon
     157 likes

    Empathy is a messaging program which supports text, voice, video chat, and file transfers over many different protocols. You can tell it about your accounts on all those services and do all your chatting within one application.

    138 Empathy alternatives
    Empathy screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD

    Empathy Features

    1.  Unified messaging
    2.  Support for Multiple protocols
    3.  Xmpp
    4.  SIP
    5.  Integrated File Sharing
    6.  Voice Chat
    Discontinued

    Empathy is currently unmaintained. Last version, 3.25, released in August 2017, can be still downloaded from the official website.

    Empathy iconFranz Icon

    Empathy VS Franz

    Is Empathy a good alternative to Franz?
     
  7. Ripcord icon
     27 likes

    Ripcord is a desktop chat client for group-centric services like Slack and Discord. It provides a traditional compact desktop interface designed for power users. It's not built on top of web browser technology: it responds quickly to input, sips gently from computer...

    160 Ripcord alternatives
    Ripcord screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Discord
    • Slack

    Ripcord Features

    1.  VoiP Calls
    2. Slack icon  Slack integration
    3.  Native application
    4.  Slack client
    Discontinued

    The latest version (0.4.29) is from 2021.

    Ripcord iconFranz Icon

    Ripcord VS Franz

    Is Ripcord a good alternative to Franz?
     
  8. Hamsket icon
     21 likes

    Hamsket is a fork of Rambox that was started when Rambox moved from being totally free to a "freemium" model.

    13 Hamsket alternatives
    Hamsket screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Top Hamsket Features

    1.  Multiple Account support
    2.  Do not disturb mode
    3.  Support for Multiple protocols
    4.  Web application wrapper
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Password lock
    7.  Portable
    8.  Publish on LinkedIn
    9. Slack icon  Slack integration
    10.  Multi Channel
    11. Skype icon  Skype integration
    12.  Built-in themes
    Discontinued

    The latest version (0.6.3) is from March 2022, and the GitHub repository has been archived.

    Hamsket iconFranz Icon

    Hamsket VS Franz

    Is Hamsket a good alternative to Franz?
     
    Comments about Hamsket as an Alternative to Franz
     
    RemovedUser

    This is the tracker-free version of Rambox which is the best alternative for Franz

    Positive commentMar 1, 2020
    0
    Franz Icon
    Hamsket icon
    • Hamsket is Free and Open SourceFranz is Freemium and Open Source
8 of 74 Franz alternatives