WhatsApp has become the biggest instant messaging service in the world in a very short span of time, a feat no one imagined could be achieved. But the $19 billion that Facebook paid in order to acquire WhatsApp was a testament to the popularity and success of this Silicon Valley startup.
With over 450 million users all over the world, it is the undisputed king when it comes to instant messaging and texting. But if you have been sceptical about feeding your private data into the now Zuckerberg owned service, here is a list of free WhatsApp Alternatives that you can download now and stay in touch with your friends and family.
Line
Arguably the biggest direct competitor for WhatsApp, Line is also another free instant messaging app that allows users to communicate by sending messages over the internet through mobile devices. The app also offers similar features like sharing images, videos and audio files with your contacts. One thing which has contributed to the rise in popularity of Line messenger is the free calling feature offered by it in which users can make free phone calls and video calls to other Line users over the internet.
Line is compatible with all the major mobile platforms like Android, Blackberry OS, iOS, Nokia Asha and Windows as well as works fine on computers too. The company has grown rapidly in the past four years to have a user base of around 350 million today and is expected to add more to that number in the near future. Overall, it is a great alternative.
Kik Messenger
Kik messenger simplifies the task of communicating with your contacts by allowing users to send free text messages and media files like images, videos and audio using the internet connection of your mobile device. The USP of Kik Messenger is the integrated web browser which lets users browse the internet and share content directly with their contacts without having to leave the app.
Kik is compatible with almost all the major platforms like Blackberry OS, Android and iOS. The company looks to be growing steadily and has a community that is already past the 100 million mark.
Viber
An app that was launched as a direct competitor to Skype, Viber has expanded into the instant messaging domain and offers free messaging across different platforms. It is considered to be one of the most supportive messaging apps as it is compatible with a host of mobile platforms like Nokia’s Symbian, Bada from Samsung along with the major ones like iOS, Android and Windows Mobile.
Viber also lets you communicate through your laptops and desktop computers. Users may send text messages, images and videos to their contacts while voice and video calling are restricted to the mobile devices running Android, iOS and Windows.
A Chinese instant messaging app, WeChat has seen a massive increase in popularity in the last two years largely due to extensive marketing. WeChat is a cross platform service that supports a plethora of languages which makes it the best option for people looking to communicate in their native languages. The service also allows users to share images, videos, location and features a streaming content feed.
These are the five best free alternative for you to consider if you are looking for an IM app other than WhatsApp.
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