Instead of WhatsApp, try one of these 12.
Every alternative is lined up against WhatsApp on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. WhatsApp sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Likes
WhatsAppWhat you have now
The world’s default messaging app, tied to a phone number.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
Telegram#1
Cloud chat with channels, bots and large group support.
PriceFree
premium $5/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
End-to-end encrypted messaging from a nonprofit.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Element#3
Decentralised, encrypted chat built on the Matrix protocol.
PriceFree
hosting from $5
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Session#4
Anonymous, onion-routed messaging with no phone number.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Tox#5
Peer-to-peer encrypted chat and video calls
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Threema#6
Swiss, privacy-first messaging with a one-time price.
PricePaid
$6 once
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Matrix#7
Open federated protocol powering decentralized chat and calls.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Wire#8
Encrypted messaging and calls aimed at business users.
PriceFreemium
from $7/mo
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Messaging with no identifiers at all — not even a username.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android · Mac · Linux · Win
LikesVisit ↗
Viber#10
Free calls and secure messaging with group chats
PriceFreemium
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Briar#11
Peer-to-peer messaging that works even without the internet.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Android
LikesVisit ↗
Fluxer#12
New open-source chat app with voice and screen sharing.
PriceFreemium
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. Our pick, marked in lime, is the option we would point most people leaving WhatsApp to first. How we compare.
WhatsApp alternatives at a glance
WhatsApp is a free messaging app. We compared 12 alternatives: 9 are open source, 8 are completely free, 2 can be self-hosted and 4 work fully offline. The most popular is Telegram, with 3.1k likes, while our pick is Signal.