Instead of Wire, try one of these 12.
Every alternative is lined up against Wire on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Wire sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Likes
WireWhat you have now
Encrypted messaging and calls aimed at business users.
PriceFreemium
from $7/mo
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
WhatsApp#1
The world’s default messaging app, tied to a phone number.
PriceFree
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Telegram#2
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 ↗
Signal#3
End-to-end encrypted messaging from a nonprofit.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Free, open-source video calls with no account required.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Discord#5
Voice, video and text chat for communities and friends.
PriceFreemium
Nitro $10/mo
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineNo
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Element#6
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#7
Anonymous, onion-routed messaging with no phone number.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Tox#8
Peer-to-peer encrypted chat and video calls
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
LikesVisit ↗
Threema#9
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#10
Open federated protocol powering decentralized chat and calls.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostYes
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · Win · Mac · Linux · iOS · Android
LikesVisit ↗
SimpleX Chat#11
Messaging with no identifiers at all — not even a username.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflinePartial
Platforms
Web · iOS · Android · Mac · Linux · Win
LikesVisit ↗
Briar#12
Peer-to-peer messaging that works even without the internet.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
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. How we compare.
Wire alternatives at a glance
Wire is a freemium messaging app (from $7/mo). We compared 12 alternatives: 8 are open source, 10 are completely free, 3 can be self-hosted and 2 work fully offline. The most popular is WhatsApp, with 4.2k likes.
Best to self-hostJitsi Meet
Free, open-source video calls with no account required.
Free · Open source · Self‑hostable