Alternatives to WhatsApp, Slack and Teams
Chat with people without a giant in the middle.
Ranked by score out of 30, most convivial first.
Delta Chat
A chat app that runs on ordinary email, with no phone number needed.
Signal
A private messenger run by a nonprofit, with end-to-end encryption by default.
Element
A messenger built on the open Matrix standard, which you can host yourself.
Briar
A messenger that works with no internet, through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor.
SimpleX Chat
A messenger with no user IDs, not even a phone number.
For comparison
The big names these tools are measured against. We review them as benchmarks, so they sit outside the directory.
About these tools
Most of us keep several chat apps open at once because each of our friends and teams chose a different one. Signal is the easy private option, run by a nonprofit with encryption on by default. Element runs on the open Matrix standard, so different providers can talk to each other and you can host it yourself. Delta Chat builds chat on top of ordinary email, so there is no phone number to give and no company that can shut the network down. SimpleX Chat works without any user ID and Briar works without the internet.
How to choose
The hard part of any chat alternative is that it only works if the people you talk to use it too. Start with a tool that works alongside the apps you already have, then move the conversations that matter most to somewhere you control. Look at who runs the network and whether you could take your contacts with you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a private alternative to WhatsApp?
Signal offers end-to-end encryption by default and is run by a nonprofit. Element and Delta Chat are open alternatives that are harder to start with and harder for anyone to shut down.
Is there a messaging app that doesn't need a phone number?
Delta Chat runs on email, so you sign up with an address or a chat relay and give out no phone number.