Self-Hosted WhatsApp Alternatives

WhatsApp is not available as a self-hosted solution but there are plenty of alternatives for power users and business that want to host a solution on-premise. The best Self-Hosted alternative is Wire. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Wire or Element. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to WhatsApp and many of them are available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted alternatives to WhatsApp are SimpleX Chat, Jitsi Meet, Fluxer and Zulip.

filter to find the best alternatives

WhatsApp alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers, but if you're looking for Group Chat Apps or Encrypted Chat Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Apple Watch, Open Source, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire, Android, Self-Hosted and Windows. 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.
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
Alternatives
Get a badge for your siteWhatsApp alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Wire icon
     334 likes

    Secure communication platform featuring encrypted chats and calls, file and media sharing, self-deleting messages, device verification, group collaboration, and customizable settings. Supports use across multiple devices with no phone number required for access.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    7
  2. Element icon
     840 likes

    Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.

    354 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • OpenAPK
    • GB flagUnited Kingdom
    Element screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    13
  3. Matrix icon
     419 likes

    Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.

    199 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    • GB flagUnited Kingdom
    Main Page
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    4
  4. SimpleX Chat icon
     115 likes

    Open-source messaging platform enabling private, identifier-free chats, encrypted group discussions, file and media sharing, plus audio and video calls. Employs double-ratchet protocol, stores user data on-device, protects metadata, and lets users self-host relay servers.

    85 SimpleX Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    • OpenAPK
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    4
  5. Jitsi Meet icon
     292 likes

    Open-source video conferencing platform with encryption by default, up to 75 participants, live group chat, HD audio, screen and document sharing, Etherpad editing, mobile and browser support, custom deployment options, privacy-first features, and community-driven development.

    179 Jitsi Meet alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple Watch
    • F-Droid
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    2
  6. Fluxer icon
     49 likes

    Free and open-source instant messaging and VoIP platform with private DMs, group chats, markdown, file sharing, video calls, screen sharing, moderation tools, quick search, custom emojis, CSS themes, AGPLv3 self-hosting, and multi-device access.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
  7. Zulip icon
     275 likes

    Threaded group conversations combine live and asynchronous messaging, separating topics for organized collaboration, supporting open-source, cloud, and self-hosted deployments, secure communication with encryption, and multi-platform access for diverse teams.

    252 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • US flagUnited States
    Zulip screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    2
  8. XMPP icon
     25 likes

    XMPP, or Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is an open standard for instant messaging and real-time communication, allowing for message exchanges between any two entities on the Internet. It's known for its decentralized and extensible nature.

    40 XMPP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows Phone
    • Self-Hosted
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Nextcloud Talk icon
     35 likes

    Self-hosted communication platform with secure audio, video, chat, web conferencing, screensharing, advanced encryption, and metadata privacy, running on user-controlled servers, supporting web and mobile apps, and eliminating third-party data exposure.

    121 Nextcloud Talk alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Nextcloud
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    • Chocolatey
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Homebrew
    Good alternative?
     
  10. Snikket icon
     9 likes

    Snikket is an ambitious project to build a new kind of XMPP-based messaging platform.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Docker
    Good alternative?
     
  11. 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).

    161 Tinode alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • US flagUnited States
    iOS client
    Good alternative?
     
    |
    2
  12. Kontalk is a secure instant messenger, allowing you to send and receive text, image and voice messages (other file types coming soon) to and from other Kontalk users completely free of charge.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Self-Hosted
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 21 WhatsApp alternatives