Ranked list · 2026

The 15 Best Messaging Apps in 2026

Ranked by a blend of community upvotes and verified user-review ratings — the top messaging apps our community recommends.

1
Discord
Voice, video, and text chat for communities.
Freemium
Best for: Gaming and online communities
4.0 (4)View
2
WhatsApp
The world’s most popular messaging app.
Free
Best for: Global communicators and small businesses
4.3 (4)View vs #1
3
Telegram
Fast, cloud-based messaging with big groups and channels.
Freemium
Best for: Large communities and info broadcasting
4.5 (2)View vs #1
4
Session
A decentralized, end-to-end encrypted messenger that needs no phone number or email to use.
Free
View vs #1
5
Telegram Desktop
Fast, secure messaging on your computer
Free
Best for: Individuals or small teams wanting free, fast, cross‑platform chat
View vs #1
6
WeChat
All-in-one messaging, payments, and mini‑apps for everyday life
Free
Best for: Chinese consumers and businesses needing all‑in‑one messaging and payments
View vs #1
7
Viber
Free messaging and calling app with cross‑platform chat and voice features
Freemium
Best for: Users wanting free, encrypted chat and calls across devices
View vs #1
8
Facebook Messenger
Connect with friends and family privately
Free
Best for: Facebook users seeking private group chats
View vs #1
9
Mattermost
Secure, self-hosted team messaging and collaboration.
Freemium
Best for: Enterprises and dev teams needing self‑hosted, customizable chat
View vs #1
10
Jami
Free, peer-to-peer messaging and calling app with no servers and no personal data required.
Free
Best for: Users who want fully serverless, account-free, peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls.
View vs #1
11
WechatExporter
Export and backup your WeChat chats effortlessly across devices
Free
Best for: WeChat power users needing cross‑device chat backups
View vs #1
12
Delta Chat
An encrypted messenger that runs over standard email servers instead of a proprietary network.
Free
Best for: Privacy-first users who want encrypted messaging without new phone numbers or accounts, reusing email infrastructure.
View vs #1
13
Threema
End-to-end encrypted messaging that never requires a phone number
Contact for Pricing
Best for: Individuals and organizations that want verifiably private messaging without tying an account to a phone number
View vs #1
14
Briar
Peer-to-peer encrypted messenger that works over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Tor, even without internet.
Free
Best for: Users who need censorship-resistant messaging that works over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi without internet.
View vs #1
15
Tox (qTox)
Free, distributed, encrypted messaging protocol with no central servers and no ads, ever.
Free
Best for: Privacy-focused users who want a free, decentralized, ad-free messaging and calling protocol.
View vs #1

How this ranking works

Each product is scored by combining community upvotes with its average user-review rating (weighted by the number of reviews), so both popularity and real satisfaction count. Rankings update automatically as the community votes and reviews. Explore all Messaging Apps or browse more ranked lists.

Get updates on the best Messaging Apps

Rankings shift as the community votes and reviews. We'll send the notable changes once a week.