Telegram
Microsoft Teams
Slack
Discord
SignalPick
App29.5k
Free messenger where texts, calls and group chats are end-to-end encrypted by default, run by a nonprofit.
- No tracking
- Open source
- End-to-end encrypted
- Account needed
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Element
App in Messaging, Team chat
Chat app for the open Matrix network: encrypted private chats and rooms, and you can pick or run your own server.
The server you use can see who is in which room and when; public rooms are not encrypted.
Privacy passport
2 of 5 checks- No trackingMinimalOnly opt-in or anonymous first-party telemetry, such as crash reports.
- Open sourceYesApps and server code are public, so anyone can check them.
- Only you can read itPartlySome of it is end-to-end encrypted, or encryption is opt-in.
- No accountNeededYou need an account to use it.
- FreeFree planA free plan, with paid upgrades.
Where it stands among 13 messaging apps
No tracking
Yes
Partly
Open source
Yes
Partly
Only you can read it
Yes
Partly
No account
Yes
No
Free
Yes
No
A private swap for
Other messaging apps
SimpleX ChatPick
App19.6k
Messenger with no user IDs at all: contacts connect through one-time links, so there is no number or username to leak.
- No tracking
- Open source
- End-to-end encrypted
- No account
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
ThreemaPick
App1k
Swiss messenger you buy once; it works with a random Threema ID, no phone number or email required.
- No tracking
- Partly open
- End-to-end encrypted
- No account
- Paid
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
Molly
App3.8k
Hardened Android build of Signal that adds a passphrase-locked database and talks to the same Signal network.
- No tracking
- Open source
- End-to-end encrypted
- Account needed
- Free
- Android
SessionAudited
App931
Encrypted messenger that gives you a random ID instead of asking for a phone number, and routes messages through an onion network.
- No tracking
- Open source
- End-to-end encrypted
- No account
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
WireAudited
App1.2k
Encrypted messenger and team workspace with calls and file sharing, built on the MLS standard for group encryption.
- Minimal tracking
- Open source
- End-to-end encrypted
- Account needed
- Free plan
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web