Open Source WeChat Alternatives
The best open source alternative to WeChat is Signal. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to WeChat and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to WeChat are Element, Tox, Wire and Zulip.
WeChat 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 WeChat.- Freemium • Proprietary
- Instant Messenger
- Mac
- Windows
- Android
- iPhone
- Blackberry
- Android Tablet
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
Signal
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Group Chat App
204 Signal alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Flathub
- Ubuntu
- Debian
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 is the most popular Open Source alternative to WeChat.
Signal Features
Comments about Signal as a Alternative to WeChat
jdakfkj333Signal is private and secure. Even Snowden endorsed it, and he has a threat model that is likely above any user on this site.
It is clean, fast, and not bloated like WeChat.
0Element
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Freemium • Open Source
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
269 Element alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- Matrix.org
- Flathub
- F-Droid
- 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.
- - Element is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to WeChat.
Element Features
Tox
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Group Chat App
186 Tox alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- F-Droid
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.
Tox Features
Wire
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free Personal • Open Source
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Video Calling App
259 Wire alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- F-Droid
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
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.
- - Wire is the most popular SaaS alternative to WeChat.
Wire Features
Zulip
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free Personal • Open Source
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
220 Zulip alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
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.
Zulip Features
Conversations
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Group Chat App
- Encrypted Chat App
143 Conversations alternatives- 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].
Conversations Features
SimpleX Chat
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Group Chat App
45 SimpleX Chat alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Self-Hosted
SimpleX - the most private and secure chat and applications platform - now with double ratchet E2E encryption! Built on Haskell with Love and Coffee.
SimpleX Chat Features
Molly
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Group Chat App
177 Molly alternatives- Android
- F-Droid
Molly is an independent Signal fork for Android.
Molly Features
FluffyChat
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Group Chat App
- Encrypted Chat App
174 FluffyChat alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Flathub
- Ubuntu Touch
- F-Droid
FluffyChat is an open, nonprofit and cute matrix messenger app for Ubuntu Touch, Android and iOS.
FluffyChat Features
Franz
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Freemium • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Application Launcher
69 Franz alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
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 Mac, Windows & Linux.
Franz Features
Status
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Group Chat App
173 Status alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- F-Droid
- APK Downloader
Status combines a private messenger, secure crypto wallet, and Ethereum Web3 DApp browser into one powerful communication tool. Chat with friends and growing communities. Buy, sell, store, and exchange digital assets.
Status Features
Xabber
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
136 Xabber alternatives- Online
- Android
- F-Droid
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 .
Xabber Features
DiscontinuedThe project seems no longer developed since 2019. Last version, 2.6.6, released in October 2019, can be still downloaded from F-Droid, it's no longer available on Google Play Store