Best WhatsApp Alternatives 2023: WhatsApp Messenger or simply WhatsApp is an amazing messaging app with lots of features such as voice call, video call, images, videos & documents sharing functionalities, emojis, gifs & stickers support, and also cross-platform compatibility. Billions of people start using it to connect with their family and friends. It provides end-to-end encrypted chats & calls to keep your conversations private & secure. Keep reading this article to more about The Best WhatsApp Alternatives.
But when WhatsApp updated its privacy policy, it didn’t leave a good impression on the users. There’s a line in their disclaimer “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from and shares information with, this family of companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings.”
So many rumors spread on this point as they didn’t read it completely and started panicking that their data will be shared with FB & other family companies. These new privacy policies were only for the business accounts to help them for marketing purposes. For personal accounts, your information is not shared with anyone. But the loss is done. And many people are migrating from WhatsApp to other alternatives. They often ask, “Which apps are the Best WhatsApp alternatives?” To that question, here’s the answer.
6 Best WhatsApp Alternatives
Here’s the list of best alternatives you can use to replace WhatsApp:
- Telegram
- Skype
- Discord
- Signal
- Snapchat
- Threema
Telegram
Telegram is one of the best and at the top of the competitor list. It’s offered by Telegram FZ-LLC and has billions of downloads. It uses the 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-bit RSA encryption, and Diffie-Hellman secure key exchange to encrypt your chats, group chats, media & calls and secure them.
It includes lots of amazing features & functionalities. You can send text messages, images, videos, animated stickers, GIFs, emojis & documents. You can also create groups that allow up to 200,00 members. Additionally, it lets you share your screen in video calls & group calls. You can also share the screen as well as the camera feed at the same time.
It has self-destructed functionality for chats & media files. You can set a timer for self-destruction or set them to seen/read-once. It also includes the screenshot block feature so that no one can take screenshots of your chats. It supports sharing of files of up to 2 GB size and public channels. That’s why it’s more popular among users for downloading videos. They can find all the movies & web series in the public channels for free.
Pros
- Open-Source
- Cloud-Based that lets you access your account on any device
- Prevents Screenshots
- Share a file of up to 2 GB
Cons
- Encryption is off by default
Get Telegram on
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Discord
Discord is another best alternative for WhatsApp/ It’s best-known for the gamers community worldwide. But let me tell you, it’s not just for gamers. It has all the functionalities you find in WhatsApp and even more than that. Along with text messaging, sharing media files, GIFs, documents, you can also share screens with your friends.
It lets you create a group of 10 members. If you want to connect with more friends, then you can create a server. In the server, you can create up to 50 categories and 500 channels. 90 members can join in a channel. The server supports up to a total of 250K members.
To give you more control over channels, it comes with roles & permissions, NSFW & Slow Mode options. You can give different permissions to each member. With the NSFW on, underage users can’t join the channels. And in the slow mode, you can set a time period that restricts the members to only 1 text message in that time-period. From personal 1-1 chats to group chats, it’s the best app.
Pros
- Share Screens
- Available on All Platforms
- Connect with 90 Members through Channels
- Custom Permissions Per Member in Channels
Cons
- Emotes are not free.
Get Discord on
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Skype
Skype is well-known for video calls. More than a billion users are using it. Its video call quality is top-notch and can’t be matched by other messaging apps. It allows up to 24 members in video calls. You can also send text messages, voice recordings, GIFs, media files in 1-on-1 chats. Moreover, it also lets you send SMS messages to your friends worldwide.
It’s available on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows & Web. So, you can use it on any platform with no problem. You can also make calls to mobile and landline phones. This feature is not available in any other messaging app. Skype-to-Skype voice calls, video calls, and chats are encrypted to protect you from malicious activities.
Pros
- User-friendly Interface
- High-Quality Voice & Video Calls
- Screen Sharing
- Available on All Platforms
- Office 365 Integration
Cons
- No Encryption when Calling to Landline
Get Skype on
Download From Google Play Store:
Download From Apple App Store:
Signal Private Messenger
Signal Private Messenger is offered by Signal Foundation and gained popularity for its highly secure & encrypted messaging services. The technology used in it for end-to-end encryption is powered by Signal Protocol, which is also used by WhatsApp. Your chats, calls, and media files are fully encrypted and private just between you & your friend. Moreover, it stores very little metadata and doesn’t link any data related to your identity.
In Signal, you can send text messages, images, videos, GIFs, emojis, and documents. It supports disappearing messages and images. Your messages will be automatically deleted from the chats after a specific time. It also prevents others from taking screenshots of the chats. Additionally, it’s available on Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Pros
- End-to-End Encryption
- Available on All Platforms
- Prevents Screenshots
- High-Quality Voice & Video Calls
Cons
- No Animated Emojis & Stickers
Get Signal Private Messenger on
Download From Google Play Store:
Download From Apple App Store:
Snapchat
Snapchat is a great WhatsApp alternative that has a billion downloads on the Play Store. But people use it as a social media app rather than as a messaging app. Just like WhatsApp, users can chat with their friends and share media files. They can create groups, voice calls & video calls with their friends, send emojis, GIFs & stickers.
It supports self-destructed messages & files. You can set a time period after which the messages are automatically deleted from their chats. Also, when someone takes a screenshot of chats, pics, or your profile, you will be notified. And the best feature of Snapchat is that it comes with so many camera face-masks & filters to take stunning selfies or pictures. They can apply the filters & face masks even in the video calls.
Pros
- Lots of Camera Filters & Effects
- Self-Destruct Messages
- Screenshot Alert
- User-friendly Interface
Cons
- Comparatively Low Users
- No re-share option
Get Snapchat on
Download From Google Play Store:
Download From Apple App Store:
Threema
Threema, in terms of encryption & security, is the best messaging app. It always prioritizes your privacy & security first. For the encryption, it uses the open-source NaCl cryptography library. Your calls, chats, statuses, and files are end-to-end encrypted. No one can read them except you & the recipient. You can create groups, call your family members or friends, video call with them. It also supports polls.
Also, Threema does not collect any metadata. To use Threema, you don’t need the phone number or email to create an account. It randomly provides a unique Threema ID to the user for identification. That way users can anonymously use it. You can also use it on your PC with Threema Web just like WhatsApp web.
Pros
- Open Source App
- End-to-end Encryption
- Phone Number & Email Not Required for Creating Account
- Chat Password
Cons
- Paid-App
Get Threema on
Download From Google Play Store:
Download From Apple App Store:
Conclusion
Best WhatsApp Alternatives for 2023: Thank you for visiting & reading the post. In this post, we wrote about 6 apps that are the best alternatives if you want to switch from WhatsApp. These apps are selected for their rich functionalities and privacy & security features. All these apps have text messaging, emojis, media files & document sharing functionalities, and calling features. Based on their additional unique features, you can choose which app to use. Have a nice day!