Signal
Similar look and feel of WhatsApp and other commonly used messaging apps, makes switching easy. Signal requires your phone number as an personal identifier.
Best WhatsApp Alternatives in 2026
18 private alternatives, vetted against our public criteria.
WhatsApp encrypts the contents of your messages, but Meta still harvests the metadata: who you talk to, how often, and when. The messengers below protect that layer too, so the pattern of your conversations is not an open book.
SimpleX Chat
Decentralized messenger that assigns no identifier to users, not even a random number. Contacts are established via one-time invite links or QR codes, with all data stored on-device only.
Molly
Hardened fork of Signal for Android that adds an encrypted local database, automatic RAM wiping on lock, and Tor/SOCKS proxy support via Orbot. Ships in two variants: one with FCM push and one fully FOSS without Google.
Session
No phone number or email address is required to signup. Similar functionality like Element, but still in an earlier stage of development. Decentralized servers routed through…
Threema
No native desktop apps available yet, but there is a web version for your browser. No phone number is required to signup but there is a payment involved to get the app.…
Briar
Briar doesn't rely on a central server: messages are synchronized directly between the users' devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Online sync via the Tor network is possible, too.…
Cwtch
User friendly, lightweight, for desktop and Android. End-to-end encrypted and takes place over Tor v3 onion services. Privacy-preserving, multi-party messaging protocol. Built…
Ricochet Refresh
Based on Ricochet but improved security and compatibility with Tor Onion Services v3 instead of older v2.
Element
A modern alternative to IRC or Discord. Good for team chats and groups.
Delta Chat
Delta Chat doesn't have their own servers but uses the most massive and diverse open messaging system ever: the existing e-mail server network. Chat with anyone if you know…
Tox
Wide range of features but a highly experimental protocol, use with caution.
Jami
Jami: Instant messaging and video calling
Brave Talk
The person creating the call requires to use Brave Browser, but the participants can join from any browser.
Jitsi Meet
Desktop version downloads can be found here .
Status
No phone number or email address is required to signup. Uses the peer-to-peer (p2p) messaging protocol Waku that removes centralized third parties from messages.
Stoat
Open source, self-hostable Discord alternative, formerly Revolt. Built for communities that want off Discord, but it is not end-to-end encrypted.
Linphone
Linphone: Video and instant messaging
iMessage
Apple's built-in messenger. End-to-end encrypted between Apple devices.
Why settings won’t fix WhatsApp. Message bodies are encrypted, yet the social graph and timing flow to Meta by design, and no privacy setting hides who you talk to from the company that owns the network. Metadata alone reveals an enormous amount about your life. The fix is a messenger built to collect as little around your messages as possible, not just to encrypt their contents.
What actually matters in a messenger. End-to-end encryption on by default, real metadata minimisation so the provider learns little about your contacts and timing, an open-source and independently audited codebase, and no requirement to expose your phone number or real-world identity. Metadata protection is the differentiator, since content encryption is now table stakes.
How to switch. The hard part is people, not technology: get the friends and groups you message most onto one app, move conversations over a few at a time, and keep WhatsApp installed briefly for the stragglers. Lead with your closest contacts so the network effect starts working for you, and the rest tend to follow once the core is there.
Frequently asked
- Do my contacts need the same app?
- Yes, and that is the real work of switching. Messaging only works when both people use it, so the move is social rather than technical. Start with the handful of people you talk to most and grow from there.
- Can I bring my chat history?
- Some apps can import a WhatsApp chat export, others start fresh for privacy reasons. Either way, you can keep WhatsApp installed for a while to refer back to old conversations while new ones move over.
- Does it need my phone number?
- It varies, and it is worth checking. Some of these let you sign up with a username instead of a phone number, which hides one more identifier. Where a number is required, the app still collects far less around your messages than WhatsApp does.