People look past WhatsApp when they want less metadata collected, no phone-number identity, or a messenger not run by Meta. Most go to Signal for a like-for-like swap, to Threema or Session for chat without a phone number, and to Wire or Element when the chat is for a company.
Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within
the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives
go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the
established names follow in their ranked order. How it works:
placement disclosure · editorial process.
What each alternative does differently
1. Signal
Nonprofit encrypted messenger · United States
Run by a US nonprofit, supported by grants and donations, with no ads or trackers. Messages, calls and groups are end-to-end encrypted, and an account still needs a phone number. Apps cover Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Linux. The pages we checked describe personal messaging only, with no business accounts.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want the closest everyday replacement and care that the operator is a nonprofit with no ads.
Pricing: Free; development is supported by grants and donations. (free plan)
Full review: #1 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Signal →
2. Threema
Swiss messenger with no phone number required · Switzerland
Swiss company whose apps are open source and need neither phone number nor email, so an ID can stay anonymous. Private is a one-time purchase rather than free, and Threema Work covers company use. Your contacts must pay too, which slows adoption compared with free apps.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want a messenger without phone numbers and are fine paying once for it.
Pricing: Private is a one-time purchase listed at 6.00 (currency selectable, depends on app store and country); company plans are Threema Work. (none)
Full review: #2 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Threema →
3. Wire
End-to-end encrypted collaboration · Switzerland
Built for organizations, with a free tier for up to 5 people and an SMB tier priced per person. Messages, calls and files are end-to-end encrypted, using the MLS protocol, and it can be hosted on-premises. Wire markets a WhatsApp and Signal alternative use case, but expect fewer consumer contacts than any free app.
Switch from WhatsApp if you need governance, SSO and on-premises hosting for company chats instead of a consumer app.
Pricing: Free for small teams up to 5 people; SMB is 7.45 euros per person per month on annual billing (8.94 monthly) for teams up to 100; Enterprise is quoted. (free plan)
Full review: #3 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Wire →
4. Element
Matrix-based messenger you can self-host · United Kingdom
Built on the open Matrix protocol, so you can use a free personal app or self-host. The Community edition is AGPL and free for 1 to 100 users, with Enterprise priced per seat above that. More setup work than a phone-number messenger, and contacts need an account on some server.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want open standards and the option to run your own server.
Pricing: Community edition free and open source (AGPL) for 1 to 100 users; Enterprise is priced per seat per month from 100 users; Sovereign is priced per deployment. (open source)
Full review: #4 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Element →
5. Telegram
Cloud messenger with large groups · United Arab Emirates
Cloud-based, so history syncs across devices without a backup. Ordinary chats use server-client encryption, and only secret chats are end-to-end encrypted. Groups reach 200,000 members and files 2 GB. Ads can appear in public channels, and a Premium subscription removes them and unlocks extras.
Switch from WhatsApp if you run large groups or channels and can accept that normal chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
Pricing: Free; Telegram Premium is a paid subscription that removes ads and adds features. (free plan)
Full review: #6 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Telegram →
6. Viber
Messenger with default encryption and Communities · Luxembourg
Operated from Luxembourg by Viber Media, part of Rakuten Group. Chats and 1:1 calls are end-to-end encrypted by default, group chats included, and the app has Communities for public discussions. Viber Out is a paid calling service. Viber also publishes an Ads Policy.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want a phone-number messenger with default encryption and public Communities, and your contacts already use it.
Pricing: Free to use; Viber Out is a paid calling service. (free plan)
Full review: #7 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Viber →
7. Session
Decentralized private messenger · Switzerland
Operated by a Swiss foundation, with no phone number or email needed to sign up. Messages travel through onion-routed nodes that hide who talks to whom. Calls are 1:1 only, with no group calls, attachments are limited to 10 MB, and Session says it lacks forward secrecy.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want to avoid phone numbers and metadata above all, and can live without group calls.
Pricing: Free; the foundation is funded by donations and appeals for support. (free plan)
Full review: #8 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Session →
8. Google Messages
SMS and RCS texting app from Google · United States
Android's texting app, built on SMS and RCS rather than a separate network. End-to-end encryption applies only to RCS chats where everyone uses Google Messages, and falls back to unencrypted SMS if data or RCS drops.
Switch from WhatsApp if your contacts are mostly on Android and you want one app for SMS and RCS.
Pricing: Free app; carrier or data charges apply. (free plan)
Full review: #10 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Google Messages →
9. LINE
Messenger from LY Corporation · Japan
Run by LY Corporation in Tokyo. Letter Sealing is on by default and cannot be switched off, but covers group chats only up to 50 members, excludes group calls, and leaves metadata and third-party cloud backups unencrypted. Useful where your contacts already use it, notably in Japan.
Switch from WhatsApp if your contacts or customers are on LINE and you accept its encryption limits.
Pricing: Free voice calls and messages; paid services exist (not checked). (free plan)
Full review: #11 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit LINE →
10. Messenger
Meta's chat app · United States
Meta's other chat app. Personal chats are end-to-end encrypted by default, and Meta says no one, Meta included, can see them. It remains a Meta service listed beside Facebook, Instagram and Meta AI, so you swap one Meta product for another and gain little independence.
Switch from WhatsApp if you want to stay with Meta but not tie chats to your phone number.
Pricing: Free; no price listed on the pages checked. (free plan)
Full review: #9 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Messenger →
11. WeChat
Chat, calls and life services · China
Contracting entity in Europe is Tencent International Service Europe B.V. in Amsterdam, with data stored in Singapore and Malaysia. Chats are deleted from servers within 72 hours of sending. Its policy does not mention end-to-end encryption, so it replaces WhatsApp for reach and services, not for privacy.
Switch from WhatsApp if you need to reach contacts in China and accept that the policy does not promise end-to-end encryption.
Pricing: Free; no price listed on the pages checked. (free plan)
Full review: #12 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit WeChat →
12. Briar
Peer-to-peer messenger for outages · Not stated on legal pages
Peer-to-peer messaging with no central server: devices sync directly over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor. Designed for activists and journalists and for internet blackouts, but the project announced maintenance mode in July 2026. Both people must set it up, and it offers no calling or business features.
Switch from WhatsApp if you need chat that keeps working without internet, and accept a project in maintenance mode.
Pricing: Free and open source; no pricing. (open source)
Full review: #13 of 13 in our ranking ·
Visit Briar →
Questions and answers
Which WhatsApp alternatives work without a phone number?
Threema and Session. Threema states that you do not need to provide a phone number or email address, and Session says no phone number or email is required to sign up. Signal's terms say a phone number is required to create an account.
Does Telegram encrypt chats end to end like WhatsApp?
No, not by default. Telegram's FAQ says ordinary cloud chats use server-client encryption, and only secret chats are end-to-end encrypted. Group calls of up to 200 participants are also described as end-to-end encrypted.
Which alternatives encrypt group chats end to end by default?
Signal, Viber and Threema, according to their own pages. Viber says private and group chats are encrypted by default, Signal says every message and call is, and Threema says messages, calls and files are. LINE covers groups only up to 50 members.
Which alternative suits a company rather than private use?
Wire, Element and Threema Work. Wire's SMB tier is listed at 7.45 euros per person per month on annual billing, Threema Work Core at 3.00 per user per month, and Element Enterprise is priced per seat from 100 users. Threema Private is for private use only.
Do I lose my chat history when I leave WhatsApp?
You lose it in the new app, since none of these messengers connects to WhatsApp. Your history stays in WhatsApp as long as the account does, and WhatsApp says it may delete an account whose phone has been offline for 120 days.
Does it matter where the vendor is based?
It is a fact to weigh, not a verdict. Signal is a US nonprofit, Threema is a Swiss company, Session is run by a Swiss foundation, Viber's operator is Luxembourg-based and its parent is Rakuten Group, and Telegram's parent is in the British Virgin Islands.
