ICQ Alternatives
ICQ is described as 'is one of the oldest instant messengers. First developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis, sold to AOL, sold again and currenly owned by the Russian "mail.ru" group (known for one of the largest social networks)' and is a popular instant messenger in the social & communications category. There are more than 100 alternatives to ICQ for a variety of platforms, including Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and iPhone. The best alternative is Signal, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like ICQ are Telegram, Element, Skype and Tox.
ICQ alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers but may also be Group Chat Apps or Encrypted Chat Apps. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of ICQ.- Free • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Windows Mobile
- Android
- iPhone
- Java Mobile
- Symbian S60
- Blackberry
- Android Tablet
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Kindle Fire
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
Signal is a messaging app with an unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all the features expected from a modern IM app. Signal has received a lot of praise from all around the world for its security and privacy-respecting technologies.
Signal vs ICQ opinions
Signal is linked to your phone number, unlike ICQ where you obtain an independent number that identifies your account. If I didn't mind sharing personal information like that, I'd just use SMS instead.
- Freemium • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- HUAWEI AppGallery
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- Linux Mobile
- Android Wear
- PortableApps.com
- FreeBSD
Telegram is a messaging app created by former VK creators with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free. It is like SMS, but more powerful.
- Freemium • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- Matrix.org
- Cloudron
Element is a secure collaboration and messaging app based on the Matrix protocol. It’s decentralised to deliver digital sovereignty, and based on an open standard for easy connections and interoperability. It is end-to-end encrypted by default.
- Freemium • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Blackberry
- Chrome OS
- Windows S
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Android Wear
- PortableApps.com
Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions.
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
- BSD
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.
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- PortableApps.com
- Xfce
Pidgin is an easy to use, multi-protocol chat client client used by millions. Connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo, XMPP, and more chat networks all at once. It has built-in support for NSS, offering client-to-server message encryption for protocols that support it.
- Free • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Wear
WhatsApp is an iPhone and Android messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS.
- Free Personal • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
Zulip is a group chat app in which messages are threaded by topic, helping you have long-running, organized conversations.
- Freemium • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Windows S
- Android Tablet
- HUAWEI AppGallery
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Blackberry 10
- Apple Watch
With Viber, everyone in the world can connect. Freely. More than 460 million Viber users text, make HD-quality phone and video calls, and send photo and video messages worldwide over WiFi or 3G - for free.
- Free • Open Source
- Android
- Android Tablet
- F-Droid
Conversations is a privacy focused, open source XMPP Texting [Jabber] client for Android 4.0+ smart phones with wife-approved easy encryption [OTR, OMEMO, or GPG].