When it comes to instant messaging and VoIP apps for mobiles, Viber enjoys a respectable standing in the market. In addition to conventional texting and group chats, you can also use it for sending emoticons, images, videos, and much more. It only requires your mobile number to register on the network, relieving you of repetitive logging in and out. But some reasons compel people to not use it and look for the best Viber alternative. For instance, it can annoy you with how frequently it crashes. Or it may not be the most popular communication app in your region.
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List of the Best Viber Alternatives
In short, there can be any reason convincing people to look for other alternatives to cater to their communication needs. That’s why we’re here with a comprehensive list of Viber alternatives, just like our list of WhatsApp alternatives a little while ago.
Talk Home App
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: People looking to make cheap calls and texts without compromising on call connectivity and clarity, even in places without reliable internet connectivity.
Carrying forward 20+ years of brand legacy in the telecom industry, Talk Home is a UK-based communication app fast gaining popularity because of two reasons in particular. First, it doesn’t require the internet to connect your calls or send texts. Secondly, it doesn’t need the receiver to have the app installed on their smartphone. Moreover, it also offers the cheapest international calls for 240+ global destinations. Many people consider it the best Viber alternative because it provides significantly cheaper rates for international calls than other options like Viber.
Pros
- Seamless connectivity with crystal-clear voice quality
- No distortions and disconnections
- Keeps things transparent, avoiding hidden fees
- Best international calling rates for more than 240 global destinations
- Connects over 12 million calls every month
- Offers the convenience of in-app credit transfers
- International mobile top-ups over 500+ global networks
- End-to-end encryption
Cons
- Doesn’t offer free in-app calls and text messages
Line
Platforms: App Store |Google Play
Best For: Best serves the residents of Japan, South Korea, and some neighbouring countries predominantly. It offers much more than conventional free calling apps, like WeChat in China and Kakao Talk in South Korea.
The line originally belongs to Soth Korea but enjoys immense popularity in Japan. It was launched there in 2011 in response to the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The basic purpose behind its launch was to offer the tsunami-hit Japanese nation a reliable communication medium during the disaster. However, it soon outgrew its basic concept, turning into an all-rounder hybrid app for daily use.
Pros
- Instant messaging, audio/video calls (among large groups as well)
- “Line Pay” feature to manage money transfers and run financial transactions
- “Line Man” feature to manage online food ordering & delivery
- Live concert, music streams, and even sporting events
- And much more
Cons
- Mostly limited to Japan, South Korea, and a few more countries in the neighbourhood.
- There are charges for landline calls
Kik
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: Combines the best of ease and convenience with personal privacy and security.
Kik is also a strong contender for the best Viber alternative spot and signs you in on the network without requiring your phone number, just like Viber. It uses your email address instead. It is also great for using multiple devices, including PCs and Macs. By 2016, around 300 million users had registered with Kik. Of them, 40% were estimated to be teenagers in the U.S., primarily because of the network’s enhanced privacy and anonymity. Since 2016, Kik hasn’t shared any such stats publicly.
Pros
- Offers unlimited intra-network texting
- Offers support for a large number of devices and platforms
- Consumes significantly lesser memory on devices as compared to other such apps
- Enhanced notification mechanism for sending, delivery, and reading of the messages
- Convenient blocking of unwanted people
Cons
- Children aged 11-15 in large numbers despite the app being rated for 17 & above, which makes them increasingly susceptible to sexting, cyberbullying, and harassment
Telegram
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: Telegram works excellent for people searching for a communication app with strict security.
You shouldn’t ignore Telegram if you’re searching for a Viber alternative that’s miles ahead of others in terms of speed and security. More than 100 million monthly active users continue to push it forward in the 10 most downloaded apps globally. You get multiplatform support in it, enjoying easy synchronisation of your messages across all your devices. Telegram allows you to create groups of up to 200,000 people or channels, conveniently sharing photos, videos, messages, and almost all types of files (zip, doc, mp3, etc.).
Pros
- Telegram is best known for taking user privacy way more seriously than almost others. It relies on E2E encryption and a host of other reliable ways to ensure this.
- Free unlimited text messages, voice messages, and video calling on the network
- Offers unlimited free space in addition to easing the transfer of large files (not exceeding the 2GB limit)
Cons
- Not everyone may feel at ease with Telegram’s interface, making it difficult for many to send and receive files without being aware of the channel’s instructions.
Snapchat
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: People interested in visual communication, offering a wide range of filters/editing options and convenient transfer of photos and videos.
Initially focusing on person-to-person photo sharing, more than 200 million users now engage in different visual interactions through this app. From sending text messages to short videos and live video chatting, you can even use Snapchat to share your “story” visible only to your followers. Snapchat initially grabbed people’s attention by allowing them to send unlimited disappearing (self-destructing) images and videos. And now it’s become one of the most used social media apps of the current times.
Pros
- Protects user privacy and connects using Snachpat ID or snapcode rather than other personal details
- No storing of pictures, videos, or any other data on its servers permanently, deleting it after a day (unless you want to save it to your device personally)
- Unbelievable options to edit and play around with your pictures & videos through its innovative AR-based filters
- Currently being used for e-commerce activities as well
Cons
- Limited analytical capabilities because of no “like” or “share” features
- The core target audience limited to the age group of 12-34 years
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: Ideal for people who want an all-in-one communication app that caters to their daily digital needs.
Owned by the Chinese tech giant Tencent, WeChat was released in 2011 as a dedicated instant messaging app. A decade after its release, it boasts more than a billion monthly active users, evolving into a giant social media hybrid. With a permanent ban on mainstream social media apps like Facebook in China, WeChat has become the standard app for the Chinese in everything from communication to business and socialising.
Pros
- Free on-network instant messaging, voice messaging, audio/video calls (even for large groups), file transfer, emojis, stickers, etc.
- “Moments” feed for sharing photos and other types of updates
- Real-time location sharing option
- Money transfers, e-commerce, and financial payments
- Translation for 20+ languages
- Unimaginable customisation with “Mini Program” feature
Cons
- Under the heavy influence of the Chinese government, compromising user security.
- Loose security settings by default, with upgradation only to a limited extent
- Doesn’t support freedom of expression beyond the Chinese government’s consent
- Though people in regions outside China can use it, but only with very basic communication features
KakaoTalk
Platforms: App Store, Google Play, Web
Best For: Kakao Talk is an all-around hybrid app for people living in South Korea, just like Line for Japan and WeChat for China, able to cater to almost all of their daily-life digital needs. Kakao Talk is no less than a modern-day miracle in South Korea, capturing about 90% domestic market share by 2015 within the first 5 years of its launch (March 2010). Interestingly enough, the original idea behind the launch of this app was to offer the Tsunami-hit, devastated population of Japan a reliable source of communication during the calamity. But it soon became the most preferred app for people, pushing it to evolve into much more than a simple communication tool.
Pros
- You need to register on Kakao Talk’s network using your mobile number, saving much hassle and time.
- Free on-net unlimited text messaging, voice messaging, and audio/video calls
- Also supports chat and audio/video calling for groups
- Translation available for 15 different languages
- Also offers online shopping, banking options, popular apps, and much more
Cons
- Prone to security issues because of lack of end-to-end encryption for messaging
- A region-specific app, which makes it pretty useless for you if you’re not living in South Korea
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: WhatsApp is a great way to interact with millions of people on the network for free, enjoying unlimited messages, audio, and video calls over the Wi-Fi or 4G/5G networks.
Seen as the best alternative to Viber by many, WhatsApp enjoys the status of a premier instant messaging app with more than a billion monthly active users. Offering end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp allows you to send messages, make audio/video calls, and share files on a wide range of mobile and desktop devices. It also registers you on the network through your mobile number.
Pros
- Free and easy to use
- End-to-end encryption to ensure privacy (after becoming a victim to some security issues recently)
- No complex sign-up requisites, requiring only your mobile number to register on the network
- Imports contacts by default
- No ads
Cons
- No face filters like other popular apps like Snapchat
- Susceptible to scams
Signal
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best for: Another of the most viable alternative to Viber, Signal allows you to send messages and make voice/video calls for free. Open source origins, cross-platform compatibility, and E2E encryption make it an excellent choice for those who’re conscious about their privacy and security.
Signal was initially launched in July 2014, offering end-to-end encryption to secure every type of communication among its users. It takes pride in its open-source origins, with its code available on GitHub. Subjecting itself to an independent audit in 2016, it earned much reliability and respect in the market. It is an intellectual property of the Open Whisper System. They make sure that not even the app developers can snoop into your private messages or other types of personal communication taking place through the app.
Pros
- Bosts of open-source origins and independent audits
- Top-notch security
- Verifies audio/video chats
- Avoids logging IP addresses
- Convenient & secure file transferring
- Can replace your default messaging app
Cons
- Telephone number-based sign-ups are not very comfortable for many users
- Often encounters issues running on iOS devices
Threema
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best for: Counting on the most advanced and reliable encryption protocols for everything from text messaging to audio/video calls and file transfers, Threema is arguable “the securest Viber alternative” on the market right now.
Threema can be your best bet in keeping your data secure from the likes of hackers, corporations, and even governments. Being a paid app, it returns you the best value of your money in terms of privacy, keeping everything safe and sound with the help of end-to-end encryption. Threema’s commitment to keeping users’ data secure is second to none. It also owns two data servers containing users’ data. Since these data centres are in Zurich, Switzerland, they enjoy Swiss data protection laws.
Pros
- Protects your privacy through some of the best encryption protocols existing in the market today
- Resorts to zero-knowledge encryption, which means Threema’s servers aren’t aware of any encryption key or other such information being passed on between any messages
- Allows personal and business group chats
- Doesn’t get into mobile number-based registration, never compromising your personal information
- Supports bitcoin-based payments
Cons
- Not so user-friendly installation and activation process
- Paid app with $3.05 per month charges for the basic plan and $1.40 per month charges for business users
Skype
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best for: You can rely on Skype for connecting with people via texts, audio/video calling, and screen sharing when you have no internet issues. That’s why people often resort to Skype for their corporate communication needs.
A popular communication app and a potential alternative to Viber, Skype assists people in connecting to others with the help of instant messaging and audio/video calls. People also resort to it for free file sharing and screen sharing. It also offers a “Skype Out” feature similar to the “Viber Out”, allowing you to place calls on landlines and mobiles. But its charges are pretty high as compared to more viable options like the Talk Home app, which serves the same purpose much more cost-effectively. It runs on mobile as well as desktop devices.
Pros
- Effortless usage
- Great for official communication
- Convenient group video and audio calls
Cons
- No default E2E encryption feature
- Higher call rates for VOIP calls
Riot
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best for: If you desire the diversity and functionality of Slack combined with the flexibility of an open-source platform, but without compromising your privacy, Riot can be a great alternative to Skype for you.
Riot is based in the UK, offering you the best combo of productivity and interactivity on a single platform. It is not only open-source but built on Matrix. So, it empowers users to tweak through different apps to develop a highly customised end-product. Teams often rely on Riot for collaborating and sharing data on multiple projects across other communication apps like Twitter, Slack, and IRC.
Pros
- Offers custom communication rather than serving as a simple, instant messaging app
- Empowers you to entrust your data only to people you want
- Allows for secure transfer of data and files
- Intelligent notification system
- Secure audio and video conferencing options
- Helps communicate between multiple platforms and apps
Cons
- Not so reliable if you want to run on different devices
Useful Read: Top Rated Calling & Texting Apps
Bridgefy
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: Bridgefy is specially conceived and designed to assist people in communicating with each other through natural disasters, educational institutions, large gatherings, and places that lack internet connectivity.
It is a messaging app at its core but functions when you don’t have reliable internet access. All you need to do is turn the Bluetooth feature of your mobile phone on and start sending messages to others after creating a network. You can send messages to people on the network within your mobile phone’s Bluetooth antenna’s range (100 meters or about 330 feet).
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface
- 3 different ways to communicate in the absence of the internet facility
- Relies on the Bluetooth feature of your mobile phone to send/receive messages
- Ideal for places with no internet facility
Cons
- Needs you to provide your phone number and real-time location
- There is a probability of offline messages not showing up sometimes
- Often needs reboots
Keybase
Platforms: App Store | Google Play
Best For: Keybase serves as a Viber alternative for chat/messaging, best catering to the needs of people who want to get away from fake identities on the internet. It does so by making users ‘prove’ their online identity, a concept also being referred to as ‘Web of Trust’ nowadays.
A highly centralized E2E encryption mechanism makes Keybase one of the top choices for messaging, calling, and file sharing, securing every single message and file transferred through it. Though it allows direct audio/video calls, people mostly don’t prefer it for this purpose. You also get a huge amount of free cloud storage with this app.
Pros
- Open-source architecture
- Messaging and file sharing protection with end-to-end (E2E) PGP encryption
- Enables you to send self-destructing messages
- Multiplatform support allows users to log in through varied devices simultaneously.
- Encrypted cloud storage for free up to 250GB
Cons
- Recently owned by Zoom, raising questions over its security despite having one of the securest mechanisms
- Not easy to install and use for the average user
Conclusion
Technology trends change dramatically, and so do our communication needs and requirements. So, pinpointing a single all-around winner will always be a tough ask. We can study the available alternatives comprehensively and zoom in on an option that best serves our current needs. And hopefully, this list of Viber alternatives helps you weigh the available alternatives and pick one that’s best for you.
