Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients

Last updated May 06, 2024

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


Client	Developer	Initial release	Platform	Latest release		License (client)	License (server)	Monthly active users
Client	Developer	Initial release	Platform	Version	Date	License (client)	License (server)	Monthly active users
BlackBerryMessenger Enterprise	Blackberry		iOS, Android			Proprietary freeware	Proprietary
Briar		May 9, 2018;5 years ago (2018-05-09)^[2]	Android	1.5.9^[3]	2024-01-16	GPL-3.0-or-later	Not applicable (peer-to-peer over Bluetooth, WiFi, or Tor network)
Conversations	Daniel Gulsche	March 24, 2014;10 years ago (2014-03-24)	Android	2.15.3^[4]	2024-04-22	GPL-3.0-only	XMPP protocol
Discord	Discord Inc.	March 6, 2015;9 years ago (2015-03-06)^[5]	Android	159.10^[6]	2023-01-04	Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	150 million (2021)^[7]
			iOS	159.0^[8]	2023-01-06
			Linux	0.0.22^[9]	2022-12-10
			macOS	0.0.270^[10]	2022-12-12
			Windows	1.0.9034	2024-02-28
Element	New Vector Limited	July 2016;7 years ago (2016-07)	Android	1.6.6^[11]	2023-10-05	Apache-2.0	Matrix protocol	43 million (2021)^[12]
			iOS	1.11.0^[13]	2023-08-15
			Linux	1.11.47^[14]	2023-10-24
			macOS	1.11.47^[14]	2023-10-24
			Windows	1.11.47^[14]	2023-10-24
			Web	1.11.47^[15]	2023-10-24
Fractal		March 16, 2018;6 years ago (2018-03-16)	Linux desktops and mobile OSs			GPLv3	Matrix protocol
Gadu-Gadu	Łukasz Foltyn, GG Network S.A.	August 15, 2000;23 years ago (2000-08-15)				Proprietary freeware	Proprietary
Gajim	Yann Le Boulanger	May 21, 2004;19 years ago (2004-05-21)	BSD	1.8.4^[16]	2023-11-26	GPL-3.0-only	XMPP protocol
			Linux
			macOS
			Windows
Google Chat (formerly Google Hangouts)	Google	May 15, 2013;10 years ago (2013-05-15) (as Google Hangouts) March 9, 2017;7 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;6 years ago (2018)	Android			Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	1 billion (2021) 500 million active (2020)
			Web
			Wear OS
ICQ	Mail.Ru	November 1996;27 years ago (1996-11)				Proprietary adware freemium	Proprietary	11 million (2018)^[17]
Jami	Savoir-faire Linux		Android			GPL-3.0-or-later	Not applicable (peer-to-peer)
			iOS
			Linux
			macOS
			Windows
Jitsi	Emil Ivov	2003;21 years ago (2003)	Desktop	2.10^[18]^[19]	2017-10-01	Apache-2.0	Apache-2.0	20 million (2020)^[20]
KakaoTalk	Kakao Corp.	March 18, 2010;14 years ago (2010-03-18)				Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	47 million (2021)^[21]
Kik Messenger	Medialab	October 2010;13 years ago (2010-10)	Android	15.50.1.27996^[22]	2023-03-17	Proprietary adware freemium	Proprietary	15 million (2017)^[23]
Kik Messenger	Medialab	October 2010;13 years ago (2010-10)	iOS	16.8.3^[24]	2023-02-25	Proprietary adware freemium	Proprietary	15 million (2017)^[23]
Line	LINE Corporation	March 2012;12 years ago (2012-03)	Android	13.0.1^[25]	2023-01-17	Proprietary freemium	Proprietary	169 million (2020)^[26]
			iOS	13.4.0^[27]	2023-03-30
			Chrome	2.5.11^[28]	2023-02-21
			macOS	7.16.1^[29]	2023-03-17
			Windows	7.14.1.2907^[30]	2023-03-23
Linphone	Belledonne Communications	2001;23 years ago (2001)	Android	4.5.6^[31]	2021-11-08	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^[32]
			iOS	4.5.1^[33]	2021-10-08
			Linux	4.3.2^[34]	2021-11-09
			macOS	4.3.2^[34]	2021-11-09
			Windows	4.3.2^[34]	2021-11-09
			BSD
Mattermost	Mattermost Inc	2015;9 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	5.2.2^[35]	2022-12-06
			macOS	5.2.2^[35]	2022-12-06
			Windows	5.2.2^[35]	2022-12-06
Messenger	Meta Platforms	August 9, 2011;12 years ago (2011-08-09)	Android	431.1.0.35.116^[36]	2023-10-24	Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	988 million (2022)^[37]
			iOS	390.0^[38]	2022-12-14
			macOS	169.0^[39]	2022-11-17
			Windows	1180.4.112.0	2021-08-18
Movim	Timothée Jaussoin	March 3, 2011;13 years ago (2011-03-03)	Any, Progressive web application	0.23^[40]	2024-02-01	AGPL-3.0-or-later	XMPP protocol
Mumble ^[41]		September 22, 2005;18 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;18 years ago (2006)	Android	10.14^[42]	2021-11-29	Proprietary freemium	Proprietary
Palringo	Palringo Ltd	2006;18 years ago (2006)	iOS	10.13.1^[43]	2021-10-19	Proprietary freemium	Proprietary
Paltalk	AVM Software, Inc	June 1998;25 years ago (1998-06)				Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	5.5 million (2013)^[44]
Pidgin	Mark Spencer	November 1998;25 years ago (1998-11)	BSD	2.14.13^[45]	2024-02-23	GPL-2.0-or-later	Umpteen, both open protocols and interfaces with proprietary messengers
			Linux
			macOS
			Windows
Psi	Psi and Psi+ developers	2001;23 years ago (2001)	Linux	1.5^[46]	2020-09-06	GPL-2.0-or-later	XMPP protocol
			macOS
			Windows
QQ	Tencent Holdings	February 10, 1999;25 years ago (1999-02-10)	Android	9.0.50^[47]	2024-04-25	Proprietary adware	Proprietary	597 million (2023)^[48]
			iOS, iPadOS, watchOS	9.0.50^[49]	2024-04-25
			Windows	9.9.9^[50]	2024-04-15
			macOS	6.9.33^[51]	2024-04-15
			Linux	3.2.7^[52]	2024-04-15
RetroShare	Cyril Soler, Gioacchino Mazzurco	2006;18 years ago (2006)		0.6.6^[53]	2021-03-13	GPL	Not applicable (peer-to-peer)
Ricochet	Invisible.im	June 2014;9 years ago (2014-06)	FreeBSD	1.1.4^[54]^[55] ^{[ needs update ]} (fork took over development, now at 3.0.15)	2016-11-07	BSD-3-Clause	Not applicable (peer-to-peer over the Tor network)
			Linux
			macOS
			Windows
Signal	Signal Foundation	July 2014;9 years ago (2014-07)	Android	7.2.4^[56]	2024-04-03	GPL-3.0-only	AGPL-3.0-only	40 million (2021)^[57]
			iOS	7.4^[58]	2024-03-27	GPL-3.0-only
			Desktop	7.4.0^[59]	2024-03-28	AGPL-3.0-only
Skype	Skype Technologies, a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation	2003;21 years ago (2003)				Proprietary adware freemium	Proprietary	200 million (2020)^[60]
Slack	Slack Technologies	August 2013;10 years ago (2013-08)				Proprietary freemium	Proprietary	12 million (2019)^[61]
Snapchat	Snap Inc.	November 2011;12 years ago (2011-11)	Android	12.27.0.8^[62]	2023-03-29	Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	557 million (2022)^[37]
Snapchat	Snap Inc.	November 2011;12 years ago (2011-11)	iOS	12.27.0.37^[63]	2023-03-28	Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	557 million (2022)^[37]
Surespot	Surespot LLC	2013;11 years ago (2013)	Android	81^[64]	2019-04-27	GPL-3.0-or-later + freemium		Defunct
Surespot	Surespot LLC	2013;11 years ago (2013)	iOS	21^[65]	2018-11-14	GPL-3.0-or-later + freemium		Defunct
TeamNote	TeamNote Limited	2012;12 years ago (2012)				Subscription	Proprietary
Telegram	Telegram Messenger LLP	2013;11 years ago (2013)	Android	10.6.4^[66]	2024-02-01	GPL-2.0-or-later	Proprietary	700 million (2022)^[67]900 million (2024)^[68]
			iOS, iPadOS	10.7.1^[69]	2024-02-03	GPL-2.0-or-later
			Desktop	4.14.13^[70]	2024-02-05	GPL-3.0-or-later
			macOS	10.7.1^[71]	2024-02-05	GPL-2.0-or-later
Threema	Threema GmbH	December 2012;11 years ago (2012-12)	Android	5.2.4^[72]	2024-03-25	AGPL-3.0-only	Proprietary	10 million (2021)^[73]
			iOS	4.6.17^[74]	2022-03-14	AGPL-3.0-only
			Web			AGPL-3.0-or-later
Trillian	Cerulean Studios	July 1, 2000;23 years ago (2000-07-01)	Android	6.6.0.13^[75]	2023-07-25	Proprietary adware freemium	Proprietary
			iOS	6.6.12^[76]	2023-06-05
			Linux	6.3.0.1^[77]	2020-05-27
			macOS	6.5 Build 43^[78]	2023-09-08
			Windows	6.5 Build 31^[79]	2023-08-18
			Web	6.5 Build 12^[80]	2023-01-05
Viber	Rakuten Viber	December 2, 2010;13 years ago (2010-12-02)	Android	20.4.3.0^[81]	2023-07-02	Proprietary freemium	Proprietary	260 million (2019)^[82]
			iOS	20.4.0^[83]	2023-07-04
			Linux	20.3.0.1^[84]	2023-06-14
			macOS	20.2.0^[85]	2023-06-12
			Windows	20.4.0.0^[86]	2023-06-30
WeChat	Tencent Holdings Limited	January 21, 2011;13 years ago (2011-01-21)				Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	1.263 billion (2022)^[37]
WhatsApp	Meta Platforms	January 2009;15 years ago (2009-01)	Android	2.24.6.78^[87]	2024-03-25	Proprietary freeware	Proprietary	2 billion (2020),^[88] confirmed in 2024^[89]
			iOS	24.6.77^[90]	2024-03-25
			macOS	2.24.5.76^[91]	2024-03-14
			Windows
Wire	Wire Swiss GmbH	December 3, 2014;9 years ago (2014-12-03)	Android	4.3.5^[92]	2023-09-27	GPL-3.0-or-later	AGPL-3.0-or-later
			iOS	3.110.1^[93]	2023-08-08
			Linux	3.31.3060^[94]	2023-05-16
			macOS	3.31.4556^[95]	2023-05-16
			Windows	3.31.4421^[96]	2023-05-16
			Web	0.27^[97]	2023-07-13
Client	Developer	Initial release	Platform	Latest release		License (client)	License (server)	Monthly active users
Client	Developer	Initial release	Platform	Version	Date	License (client)	License (server)	Monthly active users

Operating system support

Operating system support for messaging clients
Client	Windows	macOS	Linux	Web	Android	iOS
Briar	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Discord	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Element	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fractal	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Gadu-Gadu	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gajim	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Google Chat	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Google Messages (RCS)	No^{[lower-alpha 1]}	No^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Needs third-party client^{[lower-alpha 1]}^[98]	Yes	Included	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
Kik Messenger	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Line	Yes	Yes	As browser extension ^[99]	No	Yes	Yes
Linphone	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Mattermost	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Messages (Apple)	No	Included	No	No	No	Included
Messenger	Yes	Yes	Needs third-party client^{[lower-alpha 1]}^[100]	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
Skype	Included	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slack	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Snapchat	No	No	No	No	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
Tencent QQ	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Threema	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trillian	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Viber	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
WeChat	Yes	Yes	Needs third-party client^{[lower-alpha 1]}^[101]	Yes	Yes	Yes
WhatsApp	Yes	Yes	Needs third-party client^{[lower-alpha 1]}^[103]^[104]^[105]	Yes	Yes	iPhone devices only. App cannot be installed on iPad, iPod Touch.
Wire	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Client	Windows	macOS	Linux	Web	Android	iOS

Connectivity

Client	Registration requirement	Independent of mobile phone	End-to-end encryption	Peer-to-peer text chat	Open source servers	Federated servers
Briar	No		Yes	Yes	—(P2P)	—(P2P)
Discord	Email or Phone number	Yes	No	No	No	No
Element	No	Yes	Yes^[106]	No	Yes	Yes
Fractal	No			No	Yes	Yes
Gadu-Gadu	Email and Phone number			No	No
Gajim	Email	Yes		No	Yes
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.^[107]			—^{[ clarification needed ]}	Yes
ICQ	Phone number	Phone required for initial registration. Desktop client can function independently afterwards.^[108]		No
Jami	No	No	Yes	Yes	—(P2P)	—(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	—^{[ clarification needed ]}	—^{[ 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	—(P2P)	—(P2P)
Ricochet				Yes	—(P2P)	—(P2P)
Session	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Signal	Phone number; iOS or Android device.^[109]^[110] VoIP number^[111]	VoIP workaround^[111]	Yes	No	Yes^[112]	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^[113]	Phone required for initial registration & login. Desktop client can function independently afterwards.^[114]	For some features: secret chats,^[115] voice and video calls,^[116] and voice chats in groups^[116]	No	No	No
Tencent QQ		No^[117]^[118]	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.^[119]	Yes	No	No	No
Trillian	No	Yes		No	No	Yes
Viber	Phone number	No		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^[120]	No	Yes^[121]	Yes
Client	Registration requirement	Independent of mobile phone	End-to-end encryption	Peer-to-peer text chat	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.

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
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)^[122]	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^[123]	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)^[124]
Briar		Yes				Yes
Discord		No
Element		No
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu
Gajim
Google Chat
Google Messages (RCS)
ICQ
Jami	No (not stored on servers)	No			No	Yes^[125]
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^[126]
Skype
Slack
Snapchat		Yes
Surespot
TeamNote
Telegram	Yes	Yes	No		Yes (on Secret Chats)^[127]	Yes (on Secret Chats)^[128]
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)^[124]

Message handling

Client	Threads			Sent messages				Read messages		Self-destructing messages
Client	Threads	Collapse^[129]	Ignore	Editing	Deleting	Delete for contacts	Delete notification	Receipts	Hide receipts	Exists	Deletion trigger
Briar	Yes^[130]	No	No					Yes		No
Discord	Yes	Yes^[131]	Yes^[132]	Yes	Yes			No		No
Element	Yes^[133]	Yes	No	Partial	Yes			Yes		No
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu
Gajim				Yes				Yes		No
Google Chat	Yes^[134]	Yes	Yes	Originally for Google Workspace accounts only; rolled out to consumer accounts in July 2023^[135]	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^[136]	Android only^[136]	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+^[137]	No	Yes	Yes			No		No
Messages (Apple)	No	No	No							No
Messenger	Yes^[138]	No	No	No	Yes			Yes		Yes
Movim	Yes^[139]	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^[140]	No	No	No			Yes		No
Ricochet	No	No	No
Signal	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Within 3 hours^[141]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Read^[142]
Skype	No	No	No
Slack	Yes	Yes^[143]	Yes^[144]	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^[145]	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Read
Tencent QQ	No	No	No
Threema	No^[146]	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^[147]
Client	Threads			Sent messages				Read messages		Self-destructing messages
Client	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
Client	File transfer	Voice messages	Voice chat	Video chat	Individual	Groups	Encrypted local storage
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	No	No	No^[148]	Yes	Plug-in
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^[149]
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^[150]
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^[151]
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
Client	File transfer	Voice messages	Voice chat	Video chat	Individual	Groups	Encrypted local storage

Miscellaneous

Messaging services can operate around different models, based on security and accessibility considerations.^[152]

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^[153]^[154]	Yes	Yes (custom stickers require paid)	Yes	Paid^[155]	Paid^[156]
Element		Yes^[157]^[154]	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Fractal
Gadu-Gadu						No
Gajim						Yes	Yes
Google Chat		Yes (an optional setting allows messages to be accessible on Gmail as well)^[158]^[159]		Yes	Yes		No
Google Messages (RCS)		On secondary web browsers only (phone required to sync messages)^[160]	Only a limited set of reactions available	Yes	Yes		Partial
ICQ		Yes^[161]		Yes		Yes	Yes
Jami	Yes^[136]	Yes	Partial^[162]	No
Jitsi						Yes
KakaoTalk		On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)^[163]^[164]				No
Kik Messenger		No^[165]				Yes	Yes
Line		On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)^[166]		Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Linphone
Mattermost				No		Yes	Yes
Messages (Apple)		Yes (Apple devices)^[167]				No	No
Messenger		Yes (messages are also accessible on the main Facebook website)^[168]	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)^[169]	Yes	Yes	Only on Android and iOS	No	Yes
Skype		Yes^[170]^[154]		Yes	Yes	No	No
Slack		Yes^[152]^[154]				Yes	Yes
Snapchat		No^[171]		Yes	Yes	No	No
Surespot						No	Yes
TeamNote						No
Telegram	Yes	Yes^[172]^[154]^[173]	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)^[174]				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.^[175]		Yes		No	Yes
Trillian						Yes	Yes
Viber		On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)^[176]	Only a limited set of reactions available	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
WeChat		On secondary desktop devices only (phone required to sync messages)^[177]				No
WhatsApp		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.^[178]	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Wire		Yes^[179]		No		No	No
Client	Typing notifications	Multi-device support	Emoji reactions	Stickers	GIF search	Custom emoji	Themes / skins

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 In addition to other official and third-party solutions, a native desktop application can be generated for the instant messaging app website using Nativefier.^[102]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant messaging</span> Form of communication over the internet

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing immediate transmission of messages over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and triggers a transmission to the recipient(s), who are all connected on a common network. It differs from email in that conversations over instant messaging happen in real-time. Most modern IM applications use push technology and also add other features such as emojis, file transfer, chatbots, voice over IP, or video chat capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pidgin (software)</span> Open-source multi-platform instant messaging client

Pidgin is a free and open-source multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple that has support for many instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to simultaneously log in to various services from a single application, with a single interface for both popular and obsolete protocols, thus avoiding the hassle of having to deal with new software for each device and protocol.

Tencent QQ, also known as QQ, is an instant messaging software service and web portal developed by the Chinese technology company Tencent. QQ offers services that provide online social games, music, shopping, microblogging, movies, and group and voice chat software. As of March 2023, there were 597 million monthly active QQ accounts.

This is a comparison of voice over IP (VoIP) software used to conduct telephone-like voice conversations across Internet Protocol (IP) based networks. For residential markets, voice over IP phone service is often cheaper than traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) service and can remove geographic restrictions to telephone numbers, e.g., have a PSTN phone number in a New York area code ring in Tokyo.

eBuddy is a privately held Dutch software company that offers instant messaging services. As of 2011, eBuddy reported 100 million downloads. The company's flagship service is XMS, a proprietary cross-platform instant messaging service. After some changes of ownership, the company is now again owned by its original founders, Onno Bakker and Jan-Joost Rueb.

Over-the-top (OTT) media service is a media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms—the media through which companies have traditionally acted as controllers or distributors of such content. The term is most synonymous with subscription-based video on demand (SVoD) services that offer access to film and television content, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. This content may include shows and movies for which the OTT acquired rights from the content owner. Programming may also include original content produced specifically for the service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WhatsApp</span> Messaging and VoIP service owned by Meta Platforms

WhatsApp is an instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content. WhatsApp's client application runs on mobile devices, and can be accessed from computers. The service requires a cellular mobile telephone number to sign up. In January 2018, WhatsApp released a standalone business app called WhatsApp Business which can communicate with the standard WhatsApp client.

Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is a cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging (IM) software application owned by Japanese multinational company Rakuten, provided as freeware for the Google Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS and Linux platforms. Users are registered and identified through a cellular telephone number, although the service is accessible on desktop platforms without needing mobile connectivity. In addition to instant messaging it allows users to exchange media such as images and video records, and also provides a paid international landline and mobile calling service called Viber Out. As of 2018, there are over a billion registered users on the network.

Wickr is an American software company based in New York City, known for its instant messenger application of the same name. The Wickr instant messaging apps allow users to exchange end-to-end encrypted and content-expiring messages, and are designed for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Wickr was acquired by Amazon Web Services (AWS) mid-2021 and discontinued the free version of the app in December 2023.

Telegram Messenger, commonly known as Telegram, is a cloud-based, cross-platform, encrypted instant messaging (IM) service. It was originally launched for iOS on 14 August 2013 and Android in October 2013. It allows users to exchange messages, share media and files, and hold private and group voice or video calls as well as public livestreams. It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers. Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption in voice and video calls, and in optional private chats, which Telegram calls Secret Chats.

Open Whisper Systems was a software development group that was founded by Moxie Marlinspike in 2013. The group picked up the open source development of TextSecure and RedPhone, and was later responsible for starting the development of the Signal Protocol and the Signal messaging app. In 2018, Signal Messenger was incorporated as an LLC by Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton and then rolled under the independent 501c3 non-profit Signal Technology Foundation. Today, the Signal app is developed by Signal Messenger LLC, which is funded by the Signal Technology Foundation.

Threema is a paid cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app developed by Threema GmbH in Switzerland and launched in 2012. The service operates on a decentralized architecture and offers end-to-end encryption. Users can make voice and video calls, send photos, files, and voice notes, share locations, and make groups. Unlike many other popular secure messaging apps, Threema does not require phone numbers or email addresses for registration, only a one-time purchase that can be paid via an app store or anonymously with Bitcoin or cash.

Signal is an encrypted messaging service for instant messaging, voice, and video calls. The instant messaging function includes sending text, voice notes, images, videos, and other files. Communication may be one-to-one between users or may involve group messaging.

Matrix is an open standard and communication protocol for real-time communication. It aims to make real-time communication work seamlessly between different service providers, in the way that standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol email currently does for store-and-forward email service, by allowing users with accounts at one communications service provider to communicate with users of a different service provider via online chat, voice over IP, and videotelephony. It therefore serves a similar purpose to protocols like XMPP, but is not based on any existing communication protocol.

Discord is an instant messaging and VoIP social platform which allows communication through voice calls, video calls, text messaging, and media and files. Communication can be private or take place in virtual communities called "servers". A server is a collection of persistent chat rooms and voice channels which can be accessed via invite links. Discord runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Linux, and in web browsers. As of 2024, the service has about 150 million monthly active users and 19 million weekly active servers. It is primarily used by gamers, although the share of users interested in other topics is growing. As of March 2024, Discord is the 30th most visited website in the world with 22.98% of its traffic coming from the United States.

The Signal Protocol is a non-federated cryptographic protocol that provides end-to-end encryption for voice and instant messaging conversations. The protocol was developed by Open Whisper Systems in 2013 and was introduced in the open-source TextSecure app, which later became Signal. Several closed-source applications have implemented the protocol, such as WhatsApp, which is said to encrypt the conversations of "more than a billion people worldwide" or Google who provides end-to-end encryption by default to all RCS-based conversations between users of their Google Messages app for one-to-one conversations. Facebook Messenger also say they offer the protocol for optional Secret Conversations, as does Skype for its Private Conversations.

Wire is an encrypted communication and collaboration app created by Wire Swiss. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers such as Firefox. Wire offers a collaboration suite featuring messenger, voice calls, video calls, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration – all protected by a secure end-to-end-encryption. Wire offers three solutions built on its security technology: Wire Pro – which offers Wire's collaboration feature for businesses, Wire Enterprise – includes Wire Pro capabilities with added features for large-scale or regulated organizations, and Wire Red – the on-demand crisis collaboration suite. They also offer Wire Personal, which is a secure messaging app for personal use.

Element is a free and open-source software instant messaging client implementing the Matrix protocol.

Comparison of user features of messaging platforms refers to a comparison of all the various user features of various electronic instant messaging platforms. This includes a wide variety of resources; it includes standalone apps, platforms within websites, computer software, and various internal functions available on specific devices, such as iMessage for iPhones.

Beeper is an instant messaging service that enables using a variety of chat services and protocols all from the same application. Originally developed by Beeper Inc, it was acquired by Automattic in April 2024.

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↑ "Telegram — Feature rich messaging - by Sumit Grover - Medium". 29 May 2016.
↑ "Q: Which devices can I use? - Telegram FAQ".
↑ "Opening QQ login protection is still stolen -- a comprehensive analysis of QQ security mechanism".
↑ "Support – Threema - Desktop/Web".
↑ "Set Up Viber on Your Tablet or iPad - Viber Support Knowledge Base".
↑ "I'm prompted of already logging in to another device. - WeChat Help Centre".
↑ "About linked devices - WhatsApp Help Center".
↑ "Can I use Wire on multiple devices, for example on the phone and laptop? – Wire – Support".

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

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