With over two billion users in 180 countries, WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps around the globe. New features are released every few months by the company so it can stay on top. However, not everyone is happy with WhatsApp’s recently updated privacy policy. The company has faced a massive backlash from users all over the globe.
Albeit the company has always insisted that it has devoted itself to developing and maintaining a secure messaging service, it still collects tons of data from your smartphone.
So if the Facebook acquisition of WhatsApp has left you concerned, fret not: there are tons of messaging apps with more personal and secure space.
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Top 10 WhatsApp Competitors & Alternatives
Are there any messaging apps that cater to your privacy concerns without compromising on features? Certainly, yes! You are just missing out on some much, but that’s what we are here for! Here’s a list of some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp:
Signal
- Founded: 2014
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California
- Revenue: Received donations of $600,000 (2018)
- App downloads: 105 million (May 2021)
Signal is a free and secure messaging application that works on all mobile platforms. The app uses end-to-end encryption, so the users can securely communicate with other signal users.
What’s more, the app comes with screen security that prevents users from taking screenshots, and you can also set self-destruct timer on messages, thus adding more layers to security.
Like other messaging apps, Signal has a user-friendly interface. It offers text messaging, video, audio, and group calls. The biggest plus, the company doesn’t link data to your identity. That’s why the app is very popular among journalists.
So, if you are someone who wants to converse with people securely, Signal is probably the best alternative to WhatsApp.
Availability: iOs, Android.
Telegram Messenger
- Founded: 2013
- Headquarters: London, UK (Legal), Dubai (operational)
- Revenue: Doesn’t generate revenue currently
- App downloads: 540 million (2020)
With over 500 million active users, Telegram, a cloud-based messaging app, is one of the best competitors to WhatsApp.
It works one of the same as WhatsApp; it uses a double-stick system to see when someone has read or received the text message.
In terms of features, Telegram is more advanced than WhatsApp as it offers self-destruct messages, passcode lock, end-to-end encryption in secret chat, and group up to 100,000 people, public channels, and many other useful features.
What’s more, telegram bots not only help you provide the information on the go but allow you to play the game within the messaging service app. Also, you can use the app on multiple platforms, including desktops.
Availability: Windows, Web, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.
Snapchat
- Founded: 2011.
- Headquarters: Santa Monica, California
- Revenue: $2.5 billion (2020)
- App downloads: 281 million (2020)
Technically, Snapchat isn’t a messaging app but more like a social media app. Although it’s an image and video messaging app, people use it for text messaging as well.
Over 280 million people use the platform; Snapchat is indeed one of the most popular social media apps all over the globe.
What’s more impressive, it not just allows you to send messages that get deleted after a certain period of time but notifies you when someone takes a screenshot of your chat or pictures.
Moreover, you can also create group chats, group voice calls, voice calls, video calls, gifs, and a lot more. It is considered to be one of the most innovative apps, especially when it comes to featuring face masks and other fun features.
Hence, if you would like to use an app that isn’t only secure but have some of the best features out there, Snapchat can be the answer to your woes.
Availability: iOs, Android.
Skype
- Founded: 2003
- Headquarters: Luxembourg
- Revenue: $622 million (2019)
- App downloads: 1 billion (2017)
Microsoft-owned Skype is undoubtedly one of the best business chat applications on the market. It has left all other business chat platforms behind, particularly when it comes to conducting interviews and other business-related tasks.
However, people don’t use it for personal chat messaging as they think of it more as of business moniker. Nonetheless, it is one of the best chat applications on the market if you make a lot of voice and video calls.
Additionally, you can make overseas calls without having to worry about the sound and video quality. Also, it offers group video functionality.
Not many apps support video functionality, and even if they do, the app often hangs when you add more than three to four people. If you are someone who loves doing video calls now and then, Skype is your go-to chatting app.
Availability: iOs, Android, Windows, macOS, Web.
IMO
- Founded: 2007
- Headquarters: Region Sans Francisco
- Revenue: $5 million
- App downloads: 500 million (2018)
If you are looking for a convenient alternative to WhatsApp, IMO connects over 200 million people with their family and friends.
The app can be used for different purposes, including text messaging, voice calls, video calls, gif, and many more.
IMO is a free comprehensive platform for messaging and video calling. Furthermore, the app allows you to add story status in videos, texts, and as well as pictures.
Availability: iOs, Android, Windows, and macOS.
Facebook Messenger
- Founded: 2004
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California
- Revenue: $85.9 million (2020)
- App downloads: 985 million (2020)
With over 1,300 million monthly active users, Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular alternatives to WhatsApp.
The social networking site allows you to connect with your long-lost friends or colleagues. Apart from that, you can share your developments with your network and stay connected on a deeper level.
The app allows you to create chat groups, voice calls, video calls – all in one single platform.
With the Facebook app, you can communicate with your friends more quickly and share files in mere clicks with zero hassle.
It’s a free platform that allows you to make calls regardless of the location without compromising sound quality.
The downside, the app collects telemetry data from your device, so people with privacy concerns may not like it. Then, there is a thing that everybody uses Facebook; it can be a little annoying too.
Availability: iOs, Android, Windows, and macOS.
Discord
- Founded: 2015.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
- Revenue: $130 million as of 2020
- App downloads: 100 million-plus (2021)
While many of you think it’s a chatting platform for gamers, little do they know Discord has so much to offer? It’s no longer a platform for chatting with your fellow gamers; you can explore the platform as it has everything of your interest.
Discord personal message feature allows you to send text messages, emoticons, GIFs, images, emotes (only if you have Discord Nitro), and even files.
What’s more, you can also make a video call, voice calls, and even share your screen for browsing together.
It is unarguably one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp that covers all your communication needs, and the credit goes to its integration with Facebook, Reddit, Spotify, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Battle.net, and Steam.
Also, it allows you to create group chats comprising ten members, and even if you want to add more people to it, you can go for a server to add more members.
Availability: Android, iOs, Linux, Web, Windows, macOS.
- Founded: 2011
- Headquarters: Shenzen, China
- Revenue: 108.2 billion RMB (2020)
- No. of downloads: 100 million-plus times (2021)
Did you know that WeChat users spend over 80 minutes on the app every day? WeChat, with over 1.24 billion monthly active users, is one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp.
Initially, the platform served the purpose of messaging; it has become far more than the messaging platform.
Yes, it may come as a surprise to you, but almost 45 million text messages were sent daily from the platform in January 2019.
Similar to WhatsApp, it allows you to send text messages, files, GIFs, and make voice or video calls. It has become a home screen for many users; you can do almost everything using the solution.
Availability: Android, iOs.
Viber
- Founded: 2010
- Headquarters: Luxembourg
- Revenue: $1.589 billion (2020)
- No. of downloads: 1 billion-plus time (2021)
Viber is another popular alternative that stands toe-to-toe with WhatsApp. Not only it offers end-to-end encryption in shared media files, calls, and text messages, but messages saved on other devices are also encrypted.
Similar to WhatsApp, you can also make voice and video calls on Viber. What’s more, with the Viber Out feature, you can make international calls to non-Viber users at minimal rates.
The app has so much to offer when it comes to messaging features, from file sharing to voice and video messages to Backup to Google drive, and much more.
All-in-all, it’s a messaging service app that is very much similar to WhatsApp and has some more enhanced features than WhatsApp.
Availability: Android, iOs, macOS, Linux, Windows.
Google Hangouts
- Founded: 2013
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California
- Revenue: $2.6 billion (2019)
- App downloads: 5 billion (2020)
Google Hangouts is one of the best and comprehensive solutions to free calling and messaging app. It is a great alternative to WhatsApp, especially when you have to make calls or send text messages on the go.
Also, you can add up to 25 members in video chat whereas conversation can include as many as 150 people- keeping the communication channel unifying, and it’s very handy if you are conducting the virtual meeting.
What’s more, it allows you to send messages to your Gmail contacts in a matter of a few seconds. Hangouts chat makes collaboration easy as the app lets you share media files and other essential documents.
Availability: Web, iOs, Android.
The Takeaway
Over 3 billion people across the globe use messaging service apps. WhatsApp has dominated the messaging service market since 2009, but after the Facebook acquisition, its total downloads have started to fall from 2020.
Many users are now resorting to other secure apps that don’t share their private data with any of the third parties.
In this article, after thorough research, we have listed some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp that you won’t regret using.
