Since its release in 2009, WhatsApp has steadily risen and is currently the king of instant messaging apps. Its popularity was noticed by Facebook and hence, they acquired it for 19 billion dollars last year. This scared many users as there were rumors that Facebook would be changing it in a big way and the ads will start penetrating. But thank goodness nothing like that happened and WhatsApp is still the same and also added a new feature of the call. But for those who are skeptical about it remaining the same or just hating anything related to Facebook, there are plenty of WhatsApp alternatives prevalent in the market that offer similar (or better, in some cases) features like it.
In this article, we will examine the top 6 other popular whatsapp apps.
1. Kik Messenger
Kik is another app that started in 2009 on the Blackberry platform, which was at its peak at the time. Kik provides free messaging services and its standout feature is that it does not require a mobile number unlike other messaging apps. Kik relies on old school names as your identity. You can start a group chat using just a hashtag and also form a private groups. Kik is currently very popular among younger generations. It also has an in-app web browser that makes searching and browsing convenient. If you are tired of using WhatsApp and want a change Kik is a good alternative.
iPhone, Android, Windows
2. Telegram
Telegram is a new app that came out just a year and a half ago. It's actually WhatsApp on steroids. It offers many features of WhatsApp and some others too. The user interface is also almost the same as WhtasApp. In Telegram you can share files, images, videos up to 1,5 GB in size. It's really huge compared to what WhatsApp offers. Also, you can form groups of up to 200 members, double the WhatsApp limit, and send self-destruct messages like Snapchat. Telegram is also secure (they have $200 bounty program to find security flaw) and is fast.
iOS, Android, Windows
3. Messenger line
Line Messenger is currently WhatsApp's biggest competitor. Not only does it offer free messaging, but also voice and video calls to other LINE users. Also, it has a social networking aspect which you can update your status and view on your timeline. LINE app is available on Windows, iOS, Android, Blackberry, OS X, Windows phone and even Nokia Asha and Firefox OS. This might be the only app supporting so many platforms. LINE offers stickers, which can be termed as blown-up emojis, so you can express your emotion in big way. If your emotions are more complex, you can shop for the right sticker at the sticker shop. With 600 million users, LINE has a certain large user base and its rapid growth.
iOS, Android, Windows, Others
4. BBM
BBM is the big daddy of instant messaging apps. She bought IM running before even WhatsApp. Today, Blackberry is in trouble, but BBM hasn't suffered. Blackberry got its decisions right and freed up BBM for other platforms, a move which, if it had been done sooner, Blackberry wouldn't be facing extinction today. Nevertheless, BBM today offers features on par with WhatsApp. Instead of mobile numbers, BBM has alphanumeric pins called BBM pins to identify the user. The main feature is channels. User can subscribe channels of their liking, directly chat with channel owner while channel owners get web interface for posting content. Also the quality of voice messages in BBM is significantly superior to WhatsApp.
iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry
5. WeChat
WeChat, which was formerly known as Weixin, is from a China-based company, Tencent Holdings. WeChat doesn't have the well-known level of popularity that Viber and Kik have, but that doesn't mean it lacks features. There's a group chat, stickers, video chats, free calls between users, and broadcast messages. Updates are pushed out regularly, and the design is attractive. Moreover, its absolutely free to use, forever. The app also offers free games where you can "challenge each other WeChat friends". While its already popular in China, its user base is growing outside too.
iOS, Android, Windows
6. Viber
Probably the most widely available service on this list, the flagship feature is free calls to other Viber users and low rate calls to non-Viber users. Available on Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Symbian and even Bada and more, Viber was first developed for the iPhone and touted as a competitor Skype, which has now evolved into a messaging powerhouse that boasts over 200 million of users around the world, with support for over a dozen different languages. The company was recently acquired by Rakuten, a Japanese internet and e-commerce company, for $900 million.
iOS, Android, Windows
Via: beebom
