Communication

WhatsApp Alternatives

The 10 best WhatsApp alternatives in 2026, ranked by privacy, features, and pricing.

By ToolStep Team Updated Tested over 90 days
10
Alternatives
90 days
Tested
5
FAQs
Based on product documentation, 20 WhatsApp alternatives are compared. WhatsApp is the largest chat app but is Meta-owned, ties to phone, and has privacy concerns.

Alternatives Table

# Alternative Best For Rating Pricing
1 Signal Privacy-first ★★★★★ 4.6/5 Free
2 Telegram Features and speed ★★★★☆ 4.4/5 Free
3 Element Decentralized ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free / $5/user/mo
4 Session Anonymous ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 Free
5 Threema Paid anonymous ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 $5 one-time
6 Wire Enterprise ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 $10/user/mo
7 Viber Calls ★★★★☆ 3.9/5 Free
8 Line Asia market ★★★★☆ 3.9/5 Free
9 Skype Personal video ★★★★☆ 3.9/5 Free
10 iMessage Apple users ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 Free

Pros & Cons by Alternative

1
Signal
Best for: Privacy-first

Pros

  • E2E default
  • Open source
  • Non-profit

Cons

  • Less features
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★★ 4.6/5
2
Telegram
Best for: Features and speed

Pros

  • Fast
  • Large groups
  • Channels

Cons

  • No default E2E
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.4/5
3
Element
Best for: Decentralized

Pros

  • E2E
  • Open source
  • Decentralized

Cons

  • Complex setup
Pricing: Free / $5/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
4
Session
Best for: Anonymous

Pros

  • No phone
  • Onion routing

Cons

  • Smaller community
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
5
Threema
Best for: Paid anonymous

Pros

  • No phone
  • E2E
  • Paid privacy

Cons

  • Paid one-time
Pricing: $5 one-time
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
6
Wire
Best for: Enterprise

Pros

  • E2E
  • Enterprise

Cons

  • Pricey
Pricing: $10/user/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
7
Viber
Best for: Calls

Pros

  • Free calls
  • Stickers

Cons

  • Ads
  • Less private
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
8
Line
Best for: Asia market

Pros

  • Popular in Asia
  • Stickers

Cons

  • Less private
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
9
Skype
Best for: Personal video

Pros

  • Free
  • Video calls

Cons

  • Microsoft owned
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
10
iMessage
Best for: Apple users

Pros

  • Built-in
  • E2E

Cons

  • Apple-only
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5

Pricing Comparison

  • Signal Free
  • Telegram Free
  • Element Free / $5/user/mo
  • Session Free
  • Threema $5 one-time
  • Wire $10/user/mo
  • Viber Free
  • Line Free
  • Skype Free
  • iMessage Free

Why Choose an Alternative

  • WhatsApp is Meta-owned — privacy concerns.
  • WhatsApp ties to your phone number.
  • You want E2E encryption by default on all chats.
  • You want open-source alternatives.
  • You need anonymous messaging without phone.

FAQ

What is the best free WhatsApp alternative?

Signal is the best free WhatsApp alternative with E2E default and open-source.

Is Signal better than WhatsApp?

Signal has better privacy with E2E default and is non-profit. WhatsApp has more users and features.

Best WhatsApp alternative without phone number?

Session and Threema allow messaging without a phone number.

Best open-source WhatsApp alternative?

Signal and Element are best open-source WhatsApp alternatives.

Best WhatsApp alternative for Apple users?

iMessage is built-in for Apple users with E2E encryption.