Top 9 WhatsApp Competitors & Alternatives in 2026

Updated on 12/24/2025

Find more companies/brands/products like WhatsApp. We've shortlisted leading alternatives and mapped their strengths, pricing, and go-to-market focus.

Best for consumers

Est. 2009 • 1k+ employees • Public (NASDAQ:META)

WhatsApp is a free, cross-platform messaging and calling application owned by Meta Platforms that lets users send text, voice, and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share media over the internet.

Owned by Meta Platforms, Inc.

Starts at $0

Competitors

#1

Telegram

Best for consumers
Est. 2013 • 11-50 employees • Private

Telegram is a cloud-based instant-messaging and social platform emphasizing speed, security, large-group features, and multi-device sync.

Owned by Pavel Durov

Starts at $0
#2

Signal

Best for consumers

Open-source, privacy-first encrypted messenger widely used for secure one-to-one and group communication.

Owned by Signal Foundation

Starts at $0
#3

Messenger

Best for consumers
Est. 2011 • 1k+ employees • Private

Messenger is a free instant messaging and calling service developed by Meta Platforms, launched in 2011, that lets people send messages, share media, and make voice and video calls across web and mobile.

Starts at $0
#4

WeChat

Best for consumers
Est. 2011 • 1k+ employees • Public (HKEX:0700)

WeChat is a multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent, widely used as an all‑in‑one super-app, especially in China.

Owned by Tencent

Starts at $0
#5

Viber

Best for consumers
Est. 2010 • 201-1k employees • Private

Viber is a free, cross-platform messaging and voice-over-IP app that offers secure chats, voice and video calls, communities, and low-cost international calling via Viber Out.

Starts at $0 / user / month
ChampSignal

Best for SMBs
Est. 2025 • 1 employee • Private

Get the insights your competitors don't want you to have. ChampSignal discovers, monitors, and analyzes your competitors. Like having a full-time competitive intelligence analyst.

Starts at $39 / month

Has a free trial

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#6

LINE

Best for consumers
Est. 2011 • 1k+ employees • Private

LINE is a free mobile messaging and lifestyle platform offering text, voice and video calls, stickers and a range of additional services, and is especially popular in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

Starts at $0 / user
#7

Snapchat

Multimedia messaging app with ephemeral Stories, AR lenses, and Discover content targeting younger audiences.

Owned by Snap Inc.
#8

Apple Inc.

Best for consumers
Est. 1976 • 1k+ employees • Public (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, software, and digital services worldwide.

Owns Beats by Dre
#9

Discord

Discord is a real-time voice, video, and text communication platform that hosts user-created servers and channels for gaming communities, friends, and creators, with optional premium features through its Nitro subscription.

Starts at $2.99 / per user / monthly

Market overlap

Asymmetric competition means that WhatsApp is a competitor of these companies, but they are not necessarily competitors of WhatsApp.

Kik

Best for consumers
Est. 2009 • 51-200 employees • Private

Founded in 2009, Kik is a free mobile instant messaging and social chat app that lets consumers join public groups, watch live streams, and make 1:1 connections on their phones.

Starts at $0
ChampSignal

Best for SMBs
Est. 2025 • 1 employee • Private

Get the insights your competitors don't want you to have. ChampSignal discovers, monitors, and analyzes your competitors. Like having a full-time competitive intelligence analyst.

Starts at $39 / month

Has a free trial

Generate My Report
Skype

Best for consumers
Est. 2003 • 1k+ employees • Public (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Skype is a Microsoft-owned VoIP, video calling and messaging service launched in 2003 that provides free and paid voice, video and chat features and (per Microsoft) is being retired in May 2025 with users transitioned to Microsoft Teams.

Owned by Microsoft

Starts at $0

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