Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment gives a vendor more visibility, higher up on the review pages; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in messaging apps
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 13 tools, reviewed
#1 Signal
Nonprofit encrypted messenger · United States · signal.org
Nonprofit End-to-end encrypted Open source protocol
Signal is operated by Signal Messenger LLC, which describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it earns nothing from advertising. Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, the Signal Protocol is published as open source, and the privacy policy states that Signal cannot read message or call content.
- Pricing: Free (nonprofit). Free; development is supported by grants and donations. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Everyday private chat
- Strengths: Messages, voice and video calls; Group chats; Stickers.
Where it falls short
An account needs a phone number, and the terms say some metadata is transferred to the United States. The pages we checked describe personal messaging only: no business accounts, no administrator console and no retention tools.
Wrong for
A company that needs administrator controls, single sign-on or records retention, and anyone who does not want a phone number to serve as their identity.
Visit Signal →
#2 Threema
Swiss messenger with no phone number required · Switzerland · threema.com
Swiss vendor No phone number needed Open source apps
Threema AG of Pfaffikon SZ in Switzerland builds the app, and its pages say that neither a phone number nor an email address is needed to use it. Messages, calls and files are end-to-end encrypted, the apps are open source, and Afinum Management GmbH acquired a majority stake in 2020.
- Pricing: One-time purchase. Private is a one-time purchase listed at 6.00 (currency selectable, depends on app store and country); company plans are Threema Work. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Phone-number-free private chat
- Strengths: Messages, calls and files; Group chats and group calls; Threema ID without phone or email.
Where it falls short
Every contact has to buy the app too, which slows adoption in a way free apps never face.
Wrong for
People who need a free app that all of their contacts will install without paying, such as a club, a school class or a customer list.
Visit Threema →
#3 Wire
End-to-end encrypted collaboration · Switzerland · wire.com
End-to-end encrypted MLS protocol On-premises option
Wire Swiss GmbH, based in Zug, sells to organizations rather than families. The Free tier holds teams of up to five, the SMB tier costs 7.45 euros per person per month on annual billing (8.94 monthly) for teams up to 100, and Enterprise is quoted.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free for small teams up to 5 people. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Organizations and teams
- Strengths: Messages, calls and files with end-to-end encryption; Video conferences up to 150 on SMB; SSO and SCIM on SMB.
Where it falls short
The price per person looks high beside consumer apps that cost nothing, and few of your personal contacts will already have Wire installed. Teams above 100 people move to a quoted Enterprise contract.
Wrong for
Families, friend groups and volunteer teams that want a free messenger everyone already carries, and companies that need to onboard hundreds of outside contacts.
Visit Wire →
#4 Element
Matrix-based messenger you can self-host · United Kingdom · element.io
Matrix protocol Open source Self-hosted
Element is built on Matrix, an open standard that lets different servers talk to each other. The personal app is described as free forever, and the Community edition of the Element Server Suite is open source under the AGPL for 1 to 100 users. Paid tiers add Synapse Pro and corporate controls, while a Sovereign edition runs air-gapped.
- Pricing: Open source + paid tiers. Community edition free and open source (AGPL) for 1 to 100 users. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Self-hosted or sovereign messaging
- Strengths: Element app for personal use, free; Element Call included in Community; Self-hosted Element Server Suite.
Where it falls short
Choosing a server and creating an account take more effort than installing an app that finds contacts through a phone number.
Wrong for
People who expect a one-tap messenger that finds friends through their address book, and small firms without anyone to run a server.
Visit Element →
#5 WhatsApp
Phone-number messenger from Meta · United States · whatsapp.com
Phone number account End-to-end encrypted Meta company
WhatsApp is the incumbent this ranking measures the others against. An account starts from a mobile phone number and a profile name, and the privacy policy says message content is end-to-end encrypted and mostly stored on devices. The service comes from WhatsApp Ireland Limited in the European Region and from WhatsApp LLC for the UK and the rest of the world.
- Pricing: Free. No fee listed in the Terms of Service; users pay their own carrier and internet costs. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Reaching the most contacts
- Strengths: Messages and calls; Groups; Optional encrypted backups.
Where it falls short
The privacy policy says WhatsApp logs usage details such as when messages and calls are sent and received, and estimates general location from IP addresses and phone number area codes.
Wrong for
People who want an identity separate from a phone number, or a messenger not run by Meta, and companies that need records retention under their own control.
Visit WhatsApp →
#6 Telegram
Cloud messenger with large groups · United Arab Emirates · telegram.org
Cloud-based Secret chats Large groups
Telegram is a cloud-based messenger: ordinary chats sync across devices and travel under server-client encryption, while secret chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted. Groups hold up to 200,000 members, files reach 2 GB (4 GB with Premium), and group calls take up to 200 participants. Channels and bots are central to how it is used.
- Pricing: Free + Premium. Free; Telegram Premium is a paid subscription that removes ads and adds features. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Large groups and channels
- Strengths: Groups up to 200,000 members; Files up to 2 GB (4 GB with Premium); Secret chats with end-to-end encryption.
Where it falls short
Normal chats and groups are not end-to-end encrypted, so the company can in principle read them. Ads appear in certain public channels unless the user pays for Premium.
Wrong for
Anyone who needs end-to-end encryption in every group conversation, including companies discussing contracts or personal data.
Visit Telegram →
#7 Viber
Messenger with default encryption and Communities · Luxembourg · viber.com
End-to-end encrypted by default Rakuten Group Communities
Viber Media S.a r.l. of Luxembourg operates Viber, and its terms name Rakuten Group Inc. as the parent. The security page says private and group chats are end-to-end encrypted by default, that nothing is kept on Viber's servers once a message is delivered, and that it does not sell what users share. Communities host public discussions around a topic.
- Pricing: Free + Viber Out. Free to use; Viber Out is a paid calling service. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Messaging with calls and public groups
- Strengths: Chats and 1:1 calls end-to-end encrypted; Group chats and group calls; Communities.
Where it falls short
The terms refer to an Ads Policy, so advertising is part of the model. Calls to phone numbers outside the app go through the paid Viber Out service, and we did not read its rates.
Wrong for
People who want an open-source codebase to audit or an independent nonprofit operator, and companies that need an admin console.
Visit Viber →
#8 Session
Decentralized private messenger · Switzerland · getsession.org
No phone number Onion routing Open source
Session is run by the Session Technology Foundation, a Swiss foundation. Accounts use an Account ID with no phone number or email, and messages travel through onion requests and are held by node swarms. Anyone can audit the source code, and the app supports groups, Communities for 100 or more members, disappearing messages and one-to-one voice and video calls.
- Pricing: Free (foundation). Free; the foundation is funded by donations and appeals for support. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Metadata-minimal private chat
- Strengths: No phone number or email; Onion-routed messaging; Groups and Communities (100+ members).
Where it falls short
Session has no group calls yet, attachments are limited to 10 MB, and its FAQ explains why it does not offer perfect forward secrecy.
Wrong for
Teams that need group calls, administrator controls or a company contract, and anyone who exchanges large files regularly.
Visit Session →
Meta End-to-end encrypted personal chats Standalone app
Messenger is Meta's chat product, offered as a standalone app. Meta says personal messages are end-to-end encrypted by default and that no one, Meta included, can read them. Encrypted history is restored with a 6-digit PIN or with a key stored in Google Drive or iCloud.
- Pricing: Free. Free; no price listed on the pages checked. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Contacts already on Meta apps
- Strengths: Personal chats end-to-end encrypted by default; Secure storage restore with PIN; Standalone Messenger app.
Where it falls short
It is a Meta product, so it offers little distance from the company behind WhatsApp. Messages shared with Meta AI are not private from Meta.
Wrong for
People who want a messenger that is not run by Meta, and organizations that need controls, retention or a vendor contract.
Visit Messenger →
RCS Android Google
Google Messages is the texting app on many Android phones. Its help page says RCS chats between people who all use Google Messages are end-to-end encrypted, and that SMS and MMS are not. Chats fall back to SMS if RCS or mobile data is lost, and encryption resumes when both sides are back on RCS.
- Pricing: Free. Free app; carrier or data charges apply. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Android texting
- Strengths: SMS, MMS and RCS; End-to-end encrypted RCS chats between Google Messages users; Group RCS chats.
Where it falls short
Encryption holds only while everyone in the chat uses Google Messages with RCS switched on, and the fallback to SMS is silent from the user's side.
Wrong for
Anyone who needs encryption guaranteed for every contact on any platform, and iPhone users who want a single app across devices.
Visit Google Messages →
#11 LINE
Messenger from LY Corporation · Japan · line.me
Letter Sealing Japan Messenger
LY Corporation of Tokyo publishes the LINE encryption report. Letter Sealing, its end-to-end encryption, has been on by default since 2021 and cannot be turned off, for one-to-one chats and groups of up to 50 members. Voice calls and messages are free, and one-to-one audio and video calls are encrypted.
- Pricing: Free. Free voice calls and messages; paid services exist (not checked). Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Contacts in Japan
- Strengths: Free voice calls and messages; Letter Sealing end-to-end encryption by default; Group chats.
Where it falls short
Group calls, open chats and third-party cloud backups sit outside end-to-end encryption. Metadata such as sender and recipient ID is not encrypted, and album images use TLS only.
Wrong for
People whose contacts are mostly outside Japan and the few other markets where LINE is common, and groups above 50 members that need encryption.
Visit LINE →
#12 WeChat
Chat, calls and life services · China · wechat.com
Tencent Life services China reach
WeChat's terms name Tencent International Service Europe B.V. in Amsterdam as the contracting party for the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, and WeChat International Pte. Ltd. of Singapore elsewhere. The privacy policy says data is stored in Singapore and Malaysia and that chats are not kept permanently on servers, with chats removed within 72 hours.
- Pricing: Free. Free; no price listed on the pages checked. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Contacts in China
- Strengths: Chats and calls; Over 1 billion users (vendor claim); iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Where it falls short
No statement about end-to-end encryption appears in the privacy policy. Users with a mainland China number fall under the separate Weixin terms.
Wrong for
People who need end-to-end encrypted chats, and companies handling confidential data that must not pass through servers outside their control.
Visit WeChat →
#13 Briar
Peer-to-peer messenger for outages · Not stated on legal pages · briarproject.org
Peer-to-peer Tor Offline sync
Briar is a peer-to-peer messenger: devices sync directly over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor with no central server, so it keeps working during an internet blackout. Messages stay on the device, and the app offers private messaging, forums and blogs.
- Pricing: Free (open source). Free and open source; no pricing. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Journalists and activists
- Strengths: Peer-to-peer sync with no central server; Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Tor transport; Private messaging, forums and blogs.
Where it falls short
The project is in maintenance mode, so new features should not be expected.
Wrong for
Companies and large groups that need calling, administrator tools or a vendor to hold to account.
Visit Briar →
Questions and answers
What is the best WhatsApp alternative in 2026?
Signal ranks first of 13, best for everyday private chat. Threema is second (phone-number-free private chat) and Wire third (organizations and teams). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Are WhatsApp messages really private?
WhatsApp's privacy policy says message content is end-to-end encrypted and mostly stored on devices, but it also says the service logs usage details, such as when messages and calls are sent and received.
Which messaging apps work without a phone number?
Threema, Session and Briar do not need one: Threema uses an ID, Session an Account ID, and Briar adds contacts in person or by link. Element uses a Matrix account on a server of your choosing.
Is Telegram safer than WhatsApp?
Not for ordinary chats. Telegram's normal chats and groups are not end-to-end encrypted, only secret chats and calls are, while WhatsApp encrypts content end to end by default.
Can a company use Signal for staff communication?
Technically yes, but the pages we checked describe personal messaging only. Signal offers no administrator console, no single sign-on and no retention or export controls for a company.
What does Threema cost?
The private app is a one-time purchase, listed at 6.00 on the vendor's pages, with the currency and amount depending on the app store and country. There is no subscription for personal use.
Can I move my chat history from WhatsApp to another app?
The pages we read do not describe a general import path into the apps listed here. WhatsApp offers optional encrypted backups, which restore only into WhatsApp, and chat history is mostly stored on your devices.
Is Element the same as Matrix?
Matrix is the open standard; Element is the company and the app built on it. Several servers and apps can talk to each other over Matrix, which is the reason people choose it for independence.
Is Google Messages end-to-end encrypted?
Only in part. Google's help page says RCS chats between people who all use Google Messages are end-to-end encrypted, while SMS and MMS are not.
Which messenger works if the internet goes down?
Briar is designed for that: devices sync directly over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and it also uses Tor when online. The project announced maintenance mode on 9 July 2026, so it gets fixes rather than new features.
Should a business keep WhatsApp for customers and use something else internally?
That split is common and sensible. Customers pick WhatsApp, Telegram or LINE by habit, and you meet them there, preferably through a business account kept separate from staff phones.
