Software:Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients

From HandWiki
Short description: none
See also: Social:Messaging apps

The landscape for instant messaging involves cross-platform instant messaging clients that can handle one or multiple protocols.[1] Clients that use the same protocol can typically federate and talk to one another. The following table compares general and technical information for cross-platform instant messaging clients in active development, each of which have their own article that provide further information.

General

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Client Developer Initial release Platform Latest release License (client) License (server) Monthly active users
Version Date
BlackBerryMessenger Enterprise Blackberry June 2014; 11 years ago (2014-06)[2] iOS, Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary
Beeper
May 10, 2021; 5 years ago (2021-05-10)
  • Android
  • ChromeOS
  • iOS
  • Linux
  • macOS
  • Windows
 Apache-2.0 Apache-2.0
Briar May 9, 2018; 8 years ago (2018-05-09)[2] Android GPL-3.0-or-later Not applicable
(peer-to-peer over Bluetooth, WiFi, or Tor network)
Conversations Daniel Gultsch March 24, 2014; 12 years ago (2014-03-24) Android GPL-3.0-only XMPP protocol
Discord Discord Inc. March 6, 2015; 11 years ago (2015-03-06)[3] Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 150 million (2021)[4]
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Element New Vector Limited July 2016; 9 years ago (2016-07) Android AGPL-3.0 Matrix protocol 43 million (2021)[5]
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Web
Fractal March 16, 2018; 8 years ago (2018-03-16) Linux desktops and mobile OSs GPLv3 Matrix protocol
Gadu-Gadu Łukasz Foltyn, GG Network S.A. August 15, 2000; 25 years ago (2000-08-15) Proprietary freeware Proprietary
Gajim Yann Le Boulanger May 21, 2004; 22 years ago (2004-05-21) BSD GPL-3.0-only XMPP protocol
Linux
macOS
Windows
Gitter New Vector Ltd February 13, 2023; 3 years ago (2023-02-13)[6] Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux MIT License Apache-2.0 (Synapse)
Google Chat (formerly Google Hangouts) Google May 15, 2013; 13 years ago (2013-05-15) (as Google Hangouts)

March 9, 2017; 9 years ago (2017-03-09) (as Google Chat)

 Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 1 billion (2021) 500 million active (2020)
iOS
Web
Google Messages (RCS) 2018; 8 years ago (2018) Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 1 billion (2021) 500 million active (2020)
Web
Wear OS
ICQ Mail.Ru November 1996; 29 years ago (1996-11) Proprietary adware freemium Proprietary Defunct
Jami Savoir-faire Linux December 23, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-12-23) Android GPL-3.0-or-later Not applicable
(peer-to-peer)
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Jitsi Emil Ivov 2003; 23 years ago (2003) Desktop Apache-2.0 Apache-2.0 20 million (2020)[7]
KakaoTalk Kakao Corp. March 18, 2010; 16 years ago (2010-03-18) Proprietary freeware Proprietary 47 million (2021)[8]
Kik Messenger Medialab October 2010; 15 years ago (2010-10) Android Proprietary adware freemium Proprietary 15 million (2017)[9]
iOS
Line LY Corporation March 2012; 14 years ago (2012-03) Android Proprietary freemium Proprietary 169 million (2020)[10]
iOS
Chrome
macOS
Windows
Linphone Belledonne Communications 2001; 25 years ago (2001) Android GPL-3.0-or-later or proprietary SIP protocol, could connect to any SIP provider/server, including Linphone's service only for SIP linphone service : over 700,000 in 2024[11]
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
BSD
Mattermost Mattermost Inc 2015; 11 years ago (2015) Android Apache-2.0 MIT license binary, AGPLv3 for source code, Apache-2.0 for admin tools and config files
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Messenger Meta Platforms August 9, 2011; 14 years ago (2011-08-09) Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 988 million (2022)[12]
iOS
macOS
Windows
Movim Timothée Jaussoin March 3, 2011; 15 years ago (2011-03-03) Any, Progressive web application AGPL-3.0-or-later XMPP protocol
Mumble[13] September 22, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-22) Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS 1.4.287 2022-09-14 3-clause BSD Open source
Palringo Palringo Ltd 2006; 20 years ago (2006) Android Proprietary freemium Proprietary
iOS
Paltalk AVM Software, Inc June 1998; 27 years ago (1998-06) Proprietary freeware Proprietary 5.5 million (2013)[14]
Pidgin Mark Spencer November 1998; 27 years ago (1998-11) BSD GPL-2.0-or-later Umpteen, both open protocols and interfaces with proprietary messengers
Linux
macOS
Windows
Psi Psi and Psi+ developers 2001; 25 years ago (2001) Linux GPL-2.0-or-later XMPP protocol
macOS
Windows
QQ Tencent Holdings February 10, 1999; 27 years ago (1999-02-10) Android Proprietary adware Proprietary 597 million (2023)[15]
iOS, iPadOS, watchOS
Windows
macOS
Linux
RetroShare Cyril Soler, Gioacchino Mazzurco 2006; 20 years ago (2006) GPL Not applicable
(peer-to-peer)
Ricochet Invisible.im June 2014; 11 years ago (2014-06) FreeBSD [needs update] (fork took over development, now at 3.0.15) BSD-3-Clause Not applicable
(peer-to-peer over the Tor network)
Linux
macOS
Windows
Signal Signal Foundation July 2014; 11 years ago (2014-07) Android GPL-3.0-only AGPL-3.0-only 40 million (2021)[16]
iOS GPL-3.0-only
Desktop AGPL-3.0-only
Skype Skype Technologies, a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation 2003; 23 years ago (2003) Proprietary adware freemium Proprietary Defunct
Slack Slack Technologies August 2013; 12 years ago (2013-08) Proprietary freemium Proprietary 12 million (2019)[17]
Snapchat Snap Inc. November 2011; 14 years ago (2011-11) Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 557 million (2022)[12]
iOS
Surespot Surespot LLC 2013; 13 years ago (2013) Android GPL-3.0-or-later + freemium Defunct
iOS
TeamNote TeamNote Limited 2012; 14 years ago (2012) Subscription Proprietary
Telegram Telegram Messenger LLP 2013; 13 years ago (2013) Android Template:Telegram cached versions Template:Telegram cached versions GPL-2.0-or-later Proprietary 700 million (2022)[18]900 million (2024)[19]
iOS, iPadOS Template:Telegram cached versions Template:Telegram cached versions GPL-2.0-or-later
Desktop Template:Telegram cached versions Template:Telegram cached versions GPL-3.0-or-later
macOS Template:Telegram cached versions Template:Telegram cached versions GPL-2.0-or-later
Threema Threema GmbH December 2012; 13 years ago (2012-12) Android AGPL-3.0-only Proprietary 10 million (2021)[20]
iOS
Web AGPL-3.0-or-later
Trillian Cerulean Studios July 1, 2000; 25 years ago (2000-07-01) Android Proprietary adware freemium Proprietary
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Web
Viber Rakuten Viber December 2, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-12-02) Android Proprietary freemium Proprietary 260 million (2019)[21]
iOS
Linux
macOS
Windows
Voxt.ai Actual Chat, Inc. March 2, 2023; 3 years ago (2023-03-02) Android 13 February 2026 AGPL-3.0-only AGPL-3.0-only
iOS 13 February 2026
Web 13 February 2026
Windows 13 February 2026
WeChat Tencent Holdings Limited January 21, 2011; 15 years ago (2011-01-21) Proprietary freeware Proprietary 1.263 billion (2022)[12]
WhatsApp Meta Platforms January 2009; 17 years ago (2009-01) Android Proprietary freeware Proprietary 2 billion (2020),[22] confirmed in 2024[23]
iOS
macOS
Windows
Wire Wire Swiss GmbH December 3, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-12-03) Android 4.15.4 2025-10-16 GPL-3.0-or-later AGPL-3.0-or-later 20 million[24]
iOS 4.12.2 2026-01-21
Linux 3.40.3882 2025-12-10
macOS 3.40.5442 2025-12-10
Windows 3.40.5233 2025-12-10
Web Webapp-2026-01 2026-01-27
Client Developer Initial release Platform Latest release License (client) License (server) Monthly active users
Version Date

Operating system support

Operating system support for messaging clients
Client Windows macOS Linux Web Android iOS iPadOS
Beeper Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Briar No No Yes No Yes No
Discord Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Element Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fractal No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Gadu-Gadu Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Gajim Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Gitter Yes No Yes No No No
Google Chat No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Google Messages (RCS) No[lower-alpha 1] No[lower-alpha 1] Needs third-party client[lower-alpha 1][25] Yes Included No No
ICQ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Jami Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Jitsi Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
KakaoTalk Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Kik Messenger No No No No Yes Yes
Line Yes Yes As browser extension[26] No Yes Yes Yes
Linphone Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Mattermost Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Messages (Apple) No Included No No No Included Yes
Messenger Yes Yes Needs third-party client[lower-alpha 1][27] Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mumble Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Movim Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Palringo No No No No Yes Yes
Paltalk Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Pidgin Yes Yes Yes No No No
Psi Yes Yes Yes No No No
RetroShare Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Ricochet Yes Yes Yes No No No
Session Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Signal Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Skype Included Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Slack Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Snapchat No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Surespot No No No No Yes Yes
TeamNote No[lower-alpha 1] No[lower-alpha 1] No[lower-alpha 1] Yes Yes Yes
Telegram Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tencent QQ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Threema Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Trillian Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Viber Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
WeChat Yes Yes Needs third-party client[lower-alpha 1][28] Yes Yes Yes Yes
WhatsApp Yes Yes Needs third-party client[lower-alpha 1][30][31][32] Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Client Windows macOS Linux Web Android iOS iPadOS

Connectivity

Template:Sort-under

Client Registration requirement Independent of mobile phone End-to-end encryption Script error: No such module "Vertical header". Open source servers Federated servers
Briar No Yes Yes N/A(P2P) N/A(P2P)
Discord Email and Phone number Yes No No No No
Element No Yes Yes[33] No Yes Yes
Fractal No No Yes Yes
Gadu-Gadu Email and Phone number No No
Gajim No Yes Yes No Yes
Gitter ? ? ? ? ? ?
Google Chat Email; Google account Yes
Google Messages (RCS) Phone number Similar to SMS requirements, RCS messaging requires a valid SIM card to be inserted in the device.
RCS chat features may continue to work for up to 14 days, when a SIM card is removed from the device.[34] 		Yes, only for RCS chats N/A
[clarification needed] 		Yes
ICQ Phone number Phone required for initial registration.
Desktop client can function independently afterwards.[35] 		No
Jami No Yes Yes Yes N/A(P2P) N/A(P2P)
Jitsi No Yes No Yes Yes
KakaoTalk No No No No
Kik Messenger Email No No No No
Line Phone number No No No No
Linphone No Yes No No Yes Yes
Mattermost No Yes No
Messages (Apple) Email; Apple ID account Yes No N/A
[clarification needed] 		N/A
[clarification needed]
Messenger Email or Phone number; Facebook account Yes No No No
Movim No No Yes Yes
Mumble no Yes Yes Yes
Palringo No No No
Paltalk Email No No
Pidgin No Yes With extension only Yes Yes Yes
Psi No
RetroShare Yes N/A(P2P) N/A(P2P)
Ricochet Yes Yes N/A(P2P) N/A(P2P)
Session No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Signal Phone number; iOS or Android device.[36][37] VoIP number[38] Phone required for initial registration.
iPadOS or Desktop client can function independently afterwards.[39] 		Yes No Yes[40] No
Skype Email; Microsoft account Yes No No No
Slack Email Yes No No No
Snapchat Email or Phone number No No No No
Surespot No No No
TeamNote
Telegram Phone number; iOS or Android device[41] Phone required for initial registration & login.
Desktop client can function independently afterwards.[42] 		For some features: secret chats,[43] voice and video calls,[44] and voice chats in groups[44] No No No
Tencent QQ No[45][46] No No No No
Threema No A valid phone number or email address is not required for registration & login.
However, the mobile app serves as the primary device, due to the end-to-end encryption architecture.[47] 		Yes No No No
Trillian No Yes No No Yes
Viber Phone number No Yes[48] No No No
WeChat Phone number or QQ number No No No No No
WhatsApp Phone number No Yes No No No
Wire Email or Phone number Yes Yes[49] No Yes[50] Yes
Client Registration requirement Independent of mobile phone End-to-end encryption Script error: No such module "Vertical header". Open source servers Federated servers

Privacy

Some messaging services that are not designed for privacy require a unique phone number for sign-up, as a form of identity verification and to prevent users from creating multiple accounts.

Some messaging services that do not solely focus on a mobile-first experience, or enforce SMS authentication, may allow email addresses to be used for sign-up instead.

Some messaging services offer greater flexibility and privacy, by allowing users to create more than one account to compartmentalize personal & work purposes, or not requiring personally identifiable information for sign-up.

To find out if the software has end-to-end encryption, see "media" table below.

Template:Sort-under

Client Share username Hide number Account expiration Reset password Password lockout Search for contacts Voice changer Plugins
Briar by public key or in-person pairing
Discord
  • Username & Discord Tag
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled
 No
Element
  • Username
  • Matrix ID
 Yes
Fractal
  • Username
  • Matrix ID
Gadu-Gadu No
Gajim Yes
Gitter
Google Chat
  • Email address
Google Messages (RCS)
  • Phone number
ICQ Yes
Jami Yes No (not stored on servers) No (not stored on servers) No (not stored on servers)[51] by random identifier or email-like address No Yes
Jitsi by shared 4-random-words URL Yes
KakaoTalk
Kik Messenger
  • Username
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled
Line
  • Username
  • Phone number
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled (sending friend requests are required)
 Yes
Linphone
Mattermost Yes
Messages (Apple)
  • Email address
  • Phone number
 No
Messenger
  • Facebook profile
  • Username URL
  • Phone number
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled
 Yes
Movim No
Mumble
  • username
Palringo No
Paltalk No
Pidgin Yes
Psi Yes
RetroShare
Ricochet
Signal Yes Default. Number is only visible if it is saved to a friend's contact No[52] 30 seconds after 5 fails
  • Phone number
    (Contact list syncs automatically with phonebook contacts)
 No
Skype
  • Username
  • Email address
  • Phone number
 Yes
Slack
  • Name (requires joining a Slack workspace)
  • Email address invitation (requires Slack Connect)
 Yes
Snapchat
  • Username
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled
 Yes
Surespot No No
TeamNote
Telegram 6 months 5 seconds after 3 fails
  • Username
  • Phone number
    (Contact list syncs automatically with phonebook contacts)
 No
Tencent QQ No
Threema No
Trillian Yes
Viber
  • Phone number
    (Contact list syncs automatically with phonebook contacts)
 Yes
WeChat
  • Username
  • Phone number
  • Phonebook contacts scanning if enabled
    (sending friend requests are required)
WhatsApp No
  • Phone number
    (Contact list syncs automatically with phonebook contacts)
 No
Wire No
Client Share username Hide number Account expiration Reset password Password lockout Search for contacts Voice changer Plugins
  • 1: Apple iOS doesn't allow screenshot protection.

Screenshot security

Client Hide number in chats Lock screen timeout Lock screen when closed Lock screen button Screenshot detection Screenshot/recording disabled (Android only)[53]
Briar Yes Yes
Discord No
Element No
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu
Gajim No No No No No No
Gitter
Google Chat
Google Messages (RCS)
ICQ
Jami No (not stored on servers) No No Yes[54]
Jitsi No
KakaoTalk
Kik Messenger
Line Yes
Linphone
Mattermost No
Messages (Apple) No
Messenger No
Movim ?
Mumble
Palringo
Paltalk
Pidgin
Psi
RetroShare
Ricochet
Signal Yes No Yes Yes[55]
Skype
Slack
Snapchat Yes
Surespot
TeamNote
Telegram Yes Yes No Yes (on Secret Chats)[56] Yes (on Secret Chats)[57]
Tencent QQ
Threema Yes
Trillian
Viber Yes
WeChat
WhatsApp No Fingerprint sensor
Wire No
Client Hide number in chats Lock screen timeout Lock screen when closed Lock screen button Screenshot detection Screenshot/recording disabled (Android only)[53]

Message handling

Client Threads Sent messages Read messages Self-destructing messages
Threads Collapse[58] Ignore Editing Deleting Delete for contacts Delete notification Receipts Hide receipts Exists Deletion trigger
Briar Yes[59] No No Yes No
Discord Yes Yes[60] Yes[61] Yes Yes No No
Element Yes[62] Yes No Partial Yes Yes No
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu
Gajim Yes Yes No
Gitter
Google Chat Yes[63] Yes Yes Originally for Google Workspace accounts only; rolled out to consumer accounts in July 2023[64] Originally for Google Workspace accounts only; rolled out to consumer accounts in July 2023 Yes No
Google Messages (RCS) No No No No Yes Yes No
ICQ No No No Yes
Jami No No No No Desktop only No Not applicable Yes[65] Android only[65] Yes
Jitsi No No No No
KakaoTalk No No No
Kik Messenger No No No
Line No No No No Partial Yes No
Linphone No No No
Mattermost Yes Optional 7+[66] No Yes Yes No No
Messages (Apple) No No No No
Messenger Yes[67] No No No Yes Yes Yes
Movim Yes[68] No No Yes Yes No
Mumble No No No
Palringo No No No
Paltalk No No No
Pidgin No No No Yes
Psi No No No Yes
RetroShare Yes Yes[69] No No No Yes No
Ricochet No No No
Signal No No No Yes Yes Within 24 hours[70] Yes Yes Yes Yes Read[71]
Skype No No No
Slack Yes Yes[72] Yes[73] Yes Yes Yes
Snapchat No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Surespot No No No No
TeamNote No No No Yes Yes No
Telegram No[74] No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Read
Tencent QQ No No No
Threema No[75] No No No Yes Yes No
Trillian No No No Yes
Viber No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
WeChat No No No
WhatsApp No No No No Partial Yes Yes No
Wire No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes[76]
Client Threads Sent messages Read messages Self-destructing messages
Threads Collapse Ignore Editing Deleting Delete for contacts Delete notification Receipts Hide receipts Exists Deletion trigger

Media

Client File transfer Voice messages Voice chat Video chat E2EE Encrypted local storage
Individual Groups
Briar Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes
Discord Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Element
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu Yes Yes Yes No No
Gajim Yes Yes No No[77] Yes Yes
Gitter
Google Chat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Google Messages (RCS) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ICQ Yes No Yes Yes No No
Jami Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Jitsi Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
KakaoTalk Yes Yes Yes
Kik Messenger Yes No No
Line Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial Yes[78]
Linphone
Mattermost Yes Plug-in Plug-in Plug-in No No
Messages (Apple) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Messenger Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Movim Yes No Yes Yes Yes For private group
Mumble Yes Yes No No No
Palringo No No Yes No No No
Paltalk Yes Yes Yes No No
Pidgin No No Partial Yes Yes
Psi Yes Yes Partial Partial Yes Yes
RetroShare Yes Yes Yes
Ricochet Yes
Signal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial[79]
Skype Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Slack Yes No No
Snapchat No Yes Yes Yes No No
Surespot Yes Yes Yes No Yes No groupchat
TeamNote Yes No
Telegram Yes Yes Yes Yes Secret Chats No No[80]
Tencent QQ Yes No Yes Yes No No
Threema Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Trillian Yes Partial Yes Yes No No
Viber Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
WeChat Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
WhatsApp Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Wire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Client File transfer Voice messages Voice chat Video chat E2EE Encrypted local storage
Individual Groups

Backup and restore messages

Official status to guarantee support for backing up and restoring messages.

Client Windows macOS Linux Web Android iOS
Beeper
Briar
Discord
Element
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu
Gajim
Gitter
Google Chat
Google Messages (RCS)
ICQ
Jami
Jitsi
KakaoTalk
Kik Messenger
Line
Linphone
Mattermost
Messages (Apple)
Messenger
Mumble
Movim
Palringo
Paltalk
Pidgin
Psi
RetroShare
Ricochet
Session
Signal No[81] No[81] No[81] No[81] Yes[81] Yes[81]
Skype
Slack
Snapchat
Surespot
TeamNote
Telegram
Tencent QQ
Threema
Trillian
Viber
WeChat
WhatsApp No[82] No[82] No[82] No[82] Yes[82] Yes[82]
Wire Yes[83] Yes[83] Yes[83] Yes[83] Yes[83] Yes[83]
Client Windows macOS Linux Web Android iOS

Miscellaneous

Messaging services can operate around different models, based on security and accessibility considerations.[84]

A mobile-focused, phone number-based model operates on the concept of primary and secondary devices. Examples of such messaging services include: WhatsApp, Viber, Line, WeChat, Signal, etc. The primary device is a mobile phone and is required to login and send/receive messages. Only one mobile phone is allowed to be the primary device, as attempting to login to the messaging app on another mobile phone would trigger the previous phone to be logged out. The secondary device is a computer running a desktop operating system, which serves as a companion for the primary device. Desktop messaging clients on secondary devices do not function independently, as they are reliant on the mobile phone maintaining an active network connection for login authentication and syncing messages.

A multi-device, device-agnostic model is designed for accessibility on multiple devices, regardless of desktop or mobile. Examples of such messaging services include: Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts (subsequently Google Chat), Telegram, ICQ, Element, Slack, Discord, etc. Users have more options as usernames or email addresses can be used as user identifiers, besides phone numbers. Unlike the phone-based model, user accounts on a multi-device model are not tied to a single device, and logins are allowed on multiple devices. Messaging services with a multi-device model are able to eliminate feature disparity and provide identical functionality on both mobile and desktop clients. Desktop clients can function independently, without relying on the mobile phone to login and sync messages.

Client Typing notifications Multi-device support Emoji reactions Stickers GIF search Custom emoji Themes / skins
Briar No Yes No
Discord Yes Yes[85][86] Yes Yes (custom stickers require paid) Yes Paid[87] Paid[88]
Element Yes[89][86] Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu No
Gajim Yes Yes Yes
Gitter
Google Chat Yes (an optional setting allows messages to be accessible on Gmail as well)[90][91] Yes Yes No
Google Messages (RCS) On secondary web browsers only (phone required to sync messages)[92] Only a limited set of reactions available Yes Yes Partial
ICQ Yes[93] Yes Yes Yes
Jami Yes[65] Yes Partial[94] No
Jitsi Yes
KakaoTalk On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)[95][96] No
Kik Messenger No[97] Yes Yes
Line On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)[98] Yes Yes No Yes
Linphone
Mattermost No Yes Yes
Messages (Apple) Yes (Apple devices)[99] No No
Messenger Yes (messages are also accessible on the main Facebook website)[100] Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Movim Yes No No
Mumble
Palringo No Yes
Paltalk No Yes
Pidgin No No Yes Yes
Psi Yes Yes
RetroShare Yes No
Ricochet No
Signal Yes On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages; 5 linked devices)[101] Yes Yes Only on Android and iOS No Yes
Skype Yes[102][86] Yes Yes No No
Slack Yes Yes[84][86] Yes Yes
Snapchat No[103] Yes Yes No No
Surespot No Yes
TeamNote No
Telegram Yes Yes[104][86][105] Full set of reactions only available on Telegram Premium Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tencent QQ On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)[106] No Yes
Threema On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages).
Phone must maintain an active network connection at all times to use the desktop client.[107] 		Yes No Yes
Trillian Yes Yes
Viber On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)[108] Only a limited set of reactions available Yes Yes No Yes
WeChat On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)[109] No
WhatsApp Yes On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages; 4 linked devices)
Phone must not be offline for ≥ 14 days; message history limited to 3 months.
Unsupported on iPad, iPod Touch.

[110] 		Yes Yes Yes No No
Wire Yes Yes[111] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Client Typing notifications Multi-device support Emoji reactions Stickers GIF search Custom emoji Themes / skins

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 In addition to other official and third-party solutions, a native desktop application can be generated for the instant messaging app website using Nativefier.[29]

References

  1. ↑ "The top 6 best Instant Message client apps on any platform". 30 August 2011. https://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/08/30/the-top-6-best-instant-message-client-apps-on-any-platform/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Secure P2P Messenger Releases First Version, Receives New Funding". Briar. 9 May 2018. https://briarproject.org/news/2018-1.0-released-new-funding.html. 
  3. ↑ Marks, Tom (May 14, 2016). "One year after its launch, Discord is the best VoIP service available". Future plc. http://www.pcgamer.com/one-year-after-its-launch-discord-is-the-best-voip-service-available/. 
  4. ↑ "Number of monthly active users (MAU) of Discord worldwide as of September 2021". https://www.statista.com/statistics/1286750/discord-mau-global/. 
  5. ↑ "2021: It's been a busy year for Element!" (Press release). Element Blog. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "CHANGELOG.md · develop · gitter / webapp · GitLab" (in en). 15 February 2023. https://gitlab.com/gitterHQ/webapp/-/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md. 
  7. ↑ "'It was quite a ride' – Jitsi's Emil Ivov on scaling up the video conferencing platform during a pandemic". 4 September 2020. https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/it-was-quite-a-ride-jitsis-emil-ivov-on-scaling-up-the-video-conferencing-platform-during-a-pandemic. 
  8. ↑ "Number of monthly active users of KakaoTalk in South Korea from 2nd quarter of 2015 to 4th quarter of 2021". https://www.statista.com/statistics/746249/south-korea-kakaotalk-monthly-active-users/. 
  9. ↑ Ponciano, Jonathan. "Billion-Dollar Kik Taps $125 Million Token Offering To Energize User Base". https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2017/08/29/billion-dollar-kik-taps-125-million-token-offering-to-energize-user-base/. 
  10. ↑ "Line Revenue and Usage Statistics (2022)". 19 January 2022. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/line-statistics/. 
  11. ↑ "Linphone Free SIP Service". https://subscribe.linphone.org/login. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of January 2022, based on number of monthly active users". https://www.statista.com/statistics/258749/most-popular-global-mobile-messenger-apps/. 
  13. ↑ "Screenshots.debian.net". https://screenshots.debian.net/package/mumble. 
  14. ↑ "PalTalk: It Was "Flattering" To Be Included In The PRISM Slidedeck". TechCrunch. 17 June 2013. https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/17/prism-paltalk/. 
  15. ↑ "腾讯公布二零二三年第一季业绩" (in Chinese). Tencent. 17 May 2023. https://static.www.tencent.com/uploads/2023/05/17/2a29b622f5f47130fd062e2299b4635b.pdf. 
  16. ↑ "Signal Revenue & Usage Statistics (2021)" (in en-US). 2021-01-20. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/signal-statistics/. 
  17. ↑ "Slack Revenue and Usage Statistics (2022)". 11 January 2022. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/slack-statistics/. 
  18. ↑ "700 Million Users and Telegram Premium". Telegram. 19 June 2022. https://telegram.org/blog/700-million-and-premium. 
  19. ↑ Faulconbridge, Guy; Kelly, Lidia (2024). "Telegram to hit one billion users within a year, founder says". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/telegram-platform-hit-1-bln-users-within-year-founder-says-2024-04-17/. 
  20. ↑ "Threema's Success Story: From the Company's Founding to Today". Threema. January 2021. https://threema.ch/press-files/1_press_info/press_threema_story_en.pdf. 
  21. ↑ "More than a chatting platform: What makes Viber a powerful business messaging tool?". 26 January 2021. https://pushwize.com/2021/01/26/more-than-a-chatting-platform-what-makes-viber-a-powerful-business-messaging-tool/. 
  22. ↑ "WhatsApp". https://blog.whatsapp.com/two-billion-users-connecting-the-world-privately. 
  23. ↑ "Reuters". https://www.reuters.com/technology/whatsapp-explores-ads-chat-app-ft-2023-09-15/. 
  24. ↑ "Wire reaches 20 million monthly active users". 
  25. ↑ "How to Use Google Messages on Linux". 20 February 2022. https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-use-google-messages-on-linux/. 
  26. ↑ "LINE". https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/line/ophjlpahpchlmihnnnihgmmeilfjmjjc. 
  27. ↑ "How to Install Facebook Messenger 'Caprine' in Ubuntu 18.04". 7 March 2019. https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2019/03/install-facebook-messenger-caprine-ubuntu-18-04/. 
  28. ↑ "How to Install WeChat Desktop Client in Ubuntu Linux". 22 June 2020. https://itsfoss.com/install-wechat-desktop-client-in-ubuntu/. 
  29. ↑ "Nativefier". https://github.com/nativefier/nativefier. 
  30. ↑ "How to Install and Use WhatsApp Desktop Client in Linux". 15 June 2020. https://itsfoss.com/whatsapp-linux-desktop/. 
  31. ↑ "WhatSie - WhatsApp for Linux". https://snapcraft.io/whatsie. 
  32. ↑ "WhatsApp". https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/WhatsApp. 
  33. ↑ "End-to-end encryption (E2EE) | Collaboration and messaging". https://element.io/features/end-to-end-encryption. 
  34. ↑ "Turn on chat features in Messages - Messages Help". https://support.google.com/messages/answer/7189714?hl=en. 
  35. ↑ "ICQ Is Back, and There Are 11 Things You Should Know About It by Dimitry O. Photo". 22 August 2017. https://medium.com/@Dimitryophoto/icq-is-back-and-there-are-11-things-you-should-know-about-it-b993dddfc234. 
  36. ↑ Ciobica, Vladimir (26 May 2021). "Signal Desktop". https://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Chat/Instant-Messaging/Signal-Desktop.shtml. 
  37. ↑ Youngren, Jan (19 January 2021). "Signal messaging app review 2021". https://vpnpro.com/messaging-apps/signal-review/. 
  38. ↑ Collective, Tech Learning (29 October 2019). "This little-known trick lets you use Signal without giving out your phone number". https://techlearningcollective.com/2019/10/29/this-little-known-trick-lets-you-use-signal-without-giving-out-your-phone-number.html. 
  39. ↑ "Linked Devices". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320551-Linked-Devices. 
  40. ↑ "Signal · GitHub". 26 February 2020. https://github.com/signalapp. 
  41. ↑ Witman, Emma (22 January 2021). "How to make a Telegram account and start using the popular group chatting app". https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-a-telegram-account. 
  42. ↑ "Login and SMS - Telegram FAQ". https://www.telegram.org/faq?setln=en#login-and-sms. 
  43. ↑ "Q: How are secret chats different? - Telegram FAQ". https://telegram.org/faq#q-how-are-secret-chats-different. 
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Q: What is Telegram? What do I do here? - Telegram FAQ". https://telegram.org/faq#q-what-is-telegram-what-do-i-do-here. 
  45. ↑ "How to sign up for a QQ account in 2021? (For PUBG, Game for Peace or Honor of Kings)". 29 February 2020. https://chinahow.guide/qq-registration-sign-up/. 
  46. ↑ "Latest Guide: How to Register a QQ International Account For PUBG, Avena of Valors and Quick Login to other Chinese Apps". 28 April 2019. https://www.chinaclife.com/how-to-register-qq-international-account-2019-for-pubg-and-quick-login/. 
  47. ↑ "Comparison of Popular Messenger Services – Threema". https://threema.ch/en/messenger-comparison. 
  48. ↑ "Viber Encryption Overview". https://www.viber.com/app/uploads/Viber-Encryption-Overview.pdf. 
  49. ↑ "Wire Product Features". https://wire.com/en/product/features/. 
  50. ↑ "Wire server code now 100% open source – the journey continues". Wire Swiss GmbH. 19 September 2017. https://medium.com/@wireapp/wire-server-code-now-100-open-source-the-journey-continues-88e24164309c. 
  51. ↑ "Jami" (in en). 9 August 2019. https://jami.net/the-jami-quirks/. 
  52. ↑ "Signal PIN". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059792-Signal-PIN. 
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 "Why don't you disable screen capture? – Wickr Inc.". https://support.wickr.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007884288-Why-don-t-you-disable-screen-capture-. 
  54. ↑ "7bb77aa65771c36f709e14d593dc8e0d88e16ddd - jami-client-android - Gitiles". https://review.jami.net/plugins/gitiles/jami-client-android/+/7bb77aa65771c36f709e14d593dc8e0d88e16ddd. 
  55. ↑ "Screen Security". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360043469312-Screen-Security. 
  56. ↑ "Telegram FAQ". https://telegram.org/faq?setln=be#q-can-i-be-certain-that-my-conversation-partner-doesn-39t-take-a. 
  57. ↑ Says, جلوگیری از اسکرین شات در تلگرام چگونه است؟-تکست روزانه (24 February 2022). "How To Prevent People From Screenshotting Your Telegram Chat". https://gadgets-africa.com/2022/02/24/how-to-prevent-screenshotting-on-telegram/. 
  58. ↑ The Importance of Message Threads in Team Messaging Apps
  59. ↑ Briar User Manual
  60. ↑ Discord Threads FAQ
  61. ↑ Discord I Want To Leave A Thread
  62. ↑ Introducing Threads in Beta!
  63. ↑ Learn how to manage a space with in-line threading
  64. ↑ "New Google Chat features: smart compose, message editing and more". 30 June 2023. https://blog.google/products/workspace/google-chat-features-update-june-2023/. 
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 "FAQ — Jami documentation". https://docs.jami.net/user/faq.html#does-jami-support-read-receipts-can-i-turn-them-on-or-off. 
  66. ↑ Organize conversations using Collapsed Reply Threads
  67. ↑ Facebook Messenger gets threaded replies
  68. ↑ Movim: a decentralized open-source XMPP-based messaging and social platform
  69. ↑ Retroshare » Docs » User Guide » Interface
  70. ↑ "Delete messages, alerts, or chats". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320491-Delete-messages-alerts-or-chats. 
  71. ↑ "Set and manage disappearing messages". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320771-Set-and-manage-disappearing-messages. 
  72. ↑ Use threads to organize discussions
  73. ↑ How to Unfollow Thread in Slack?
  74. ↑ Bugs and Suggestions » Threads
  75. ↑ Comparison of Communication Tools for Companies
  76. ↑ "Safe and tidy with Timed Messages". Wire Swiss. 25 October 2016. https://medium.com/wire-news/safe-and-tidy-with-timed-messages%EF%B8%8F-4f26ff17b11b. 
  77. ↑ "Gajimfaq · Wiki · gajim / Gajim". 16 April 2023. https://dev.gajim.org/gajim/gajim/-/wikis/help/gajimfaq. 
  78. ↑ "The next step for even safer messaging: Letter Sealing". Line Corporation. 12 August 2016. https://engineering.linecorp.com/en/blog/the-next-step-for-even-safer-messaging-letter-sealing/. 
  79. ↑ "Signal and Encryption at rest". SignalCommunity. 12 February 2018. https://community.signalusers.org/t/signal-and-encryption-at-rest/1953. 
  80. ↑ "Telegram App Store Secret-Chat Messages in Plain-Text Database". 23 February 2015. https://blog.zimperium.com/telegram-hack/. 
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 81.2 81.3 81.4 81.5 "Backup and Restore Messages". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages. 
  82. ↑ 82.0 82.1 82.2 82.3 82.4 82.5 "Back Up or Restore Your Chats". Whatsapp Support. https://faq.whatsapp.com/1144861179456352. 
  83. ↑ 83.0 83.1 83.2 83.3 83.4 83.5 "Gesprächsverlauf sichern und wiederherstellen" (in de). Wire Support. https://support.wire.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000386537. 
  84. ↑ 84.0 84.1 "Product design decisions for secure messengers - by Wire - Medium". 31 May 2017. https://wireapp.medium.com/product-design-decisions-for-secure-messengers-e8a5e7d1a373. 
  85. ↑ "Discord on Twitter: "Yup, you can be logged into as many devices at the same time..." / Twitter". https://twitter.com/discord/status/1079674168935878657?lang=en. 
  86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 86.2 86.3 86.4 "Top 5 Messenger Apps Supporting Multi-Device Support Feature - Mirror Review". 10 August 2020. https://www.mirrorreview.com/top-5-messenger-apps-support-feature/. 
  87. ↑ "Boost Your Account and Support Us with Discord Nitro". https://discord.com/blog/boost-your-account-and-support-us-with-discord-nitro. 
  88. ↑ "Now in Nitro: Bring Your Vibe to Discord with New Themes". https://discord.com/blog/bring-your-vibe-to-discord-with-new-themes-in-nitro. 
  89. ↑ "The Element messenger (and the Matrix standard) - Linux Kamarada". 20 May 2021. https://linuxkamarada.com/en/2021/05/20/the-element-messenger-and-the-matrix-standard/. 
  90. ↑ "Use classic Hangouts on all your devices - Google Workspace Admin Help". https://support.google.com/a/answer/6187630?hl=en. 
  91. ↑ "Use Google Chat in Gmail - Computer - Google Chat Help". https://support.google.com/chat/answer/9341104?hl=en. 
  92. ↑ "Check your messages on your computer or Android tablet - Messages Help". https://support.google.com/messages/answer/7611075?hl=en. 
  93. ↑ "» A whole new ICQ awaits you on iOS". 13 January 2021. https://bestygame.com/en/a-whole-new-icq-awaits-you-on-ios/. 
  94. ↑ "Features of Jami Clients". 11 January 2024. https://docs.jami.net/en_US/user/all-features-by-client.html. 
  95. ↑ "Help - Kaokao". http://www.kakao.com/talk/en/faq. 
  96. ↑ "General - Kaokao". https://cs.kakao.com/helps?articleId=1073183153&service=8&category=5&device=2&locale=en. 
  97. ↑ "Kik FAQs – Kik". https://kikhelpcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402351602971-Kik-FAQs. 
  98. ↑ "Help center - LINE". https://help.line.me/line/android/pc?lang=en&contentId=20000132. 
  99. ↑ "Access your messages on all your Apple devices - Apple Support". https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/access-messages-apple-devices-icht5b5d1e63/mac. 
  100. ↑ "A Guide on How to Use Facebook Secret Conversations". 24 October 2019. https://mashtips.com/facebook-secret-conversations/. 
  101. ↑ "Troubleshooting multiple devices". Signal Support. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320451. 
  102. ↑ "Can I sync my Skype instant messages across devices? - Skype Support". https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12368/can-i-sync-my-skype-instant-messages-across-devices. 
  103. ↑ "Snapchat Support on Twitter: "The Snapchat app does not currently allow multiple users to log into one shared account. Similarly, the Snapchat app cannot run on multiple devices at once, so each time you log in to a device, it will log you out of the other device." / Twitter". https://twitter.com/snapchatsupport/status/971212591312834560?lang=en. 
  104. ↑ "Telegram — Feature rich messaging - by Sumit Grover - Medium". 29 May 2016. https://medium.com/@sumgr0/telegram-feature-rich-messaging-f3fd9a7611b0. 
  105. ↑ "Q: Which devices can I use? - Telegram FAQ". https://www.telegram.org/faq?setln=en#q-which-devices-can-i-use. 
  106. ↑ "Opening QQ login protection is still stolen -- a comprehensive analysis of QQ security mechanism". https://chowdera.com/2021/12/20211204063740605I.html. 
  107. ↑ "Support – Threema - Desktop/Web". https://threema.ch/en/support. 
  108. ↑ "Set Up Viber on Your Tablet or iPad - Viber Support Knowledge Base". https://help.viber.com/en/article/set-up-viber-on-your-tablet-or-ipad. 
  109. ↑ "I'm prompted of already logging in to another device. - WeChat Help Centre". https://help.wechat.com/cgi-bin/micromsg-bin/oshelpcenter?opcode=2&lang=en&plat=android&pid=1003374&id=120813euejvf1505046zj6jz&Channel=helpcenter. 
  110. ↑ "About linked devices - WhatsApp Help Center". https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/download-and-installation/about-linked-devices/?lang=en. 
  111. ↑ "Can I use Wire on multiple devices?". Wire Support. https://support.wire.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003858445. 



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