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, Windows, iPad 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 Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Apple Watch, Open Source, Self-Hosted, EU, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire and Blackberry. 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. AWS Wickr icon
     50 likes

    Secure communication for individuals, teams, and large organizations.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
     
  2. Snapchat icon
     96 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.

    127 Snapchat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
     
  3. Gajim icon
     68 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.

    65 Gajim alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Xfce
    • Flathub
     
  4. 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
  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).

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
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    2
  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.

    93 Kik alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Kindle Fire
     
  7. 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
     
  8. 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)

    85 KakaoTalk alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Wear
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  9. Olvid icon
     11 likes

    The most secure messaging app in the world.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    1
  10. Sphinx Chat icon
     5 likes

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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
     
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