What are some of the best messaging apps out there? Tom’s Guide has an article called Best Messaging Apps. Here is a list of some of the best messaging apps. There are a lot of them that are briefly reviewed in that article.
- Facebook Messenger (Android, iOS: Free)
- WhatsApp (Android, iOS: Free)
- Viber (Android, iOS: Free)
- Slack (Android, iOS: Free) Post: Slack Software
- Microsoft Teams (Android, iOS: requires Office 365)
- Telegram (Android, iOS: Free)
- Signal (Android, iOS: Free)
- GroupMe (Android, iOS: Free)
- WeChat (Android, iOS: Free)
- Line (Android, iOS: Free)
- Discord (Android, iOS: Free)
- Snapchat (Android, iOS: Free)
- Skype (Android, iOS, Windows: Free)
- Voxer (Android, iOS: Free)
- Blackberry Messenger (Android, iOS: Free)
- Textra (Android: Free)
- Silence (Android: Free)
- Dust (Android, iOS: Free)
- Wire (Android, iOS: Free)
- Wickr Me (Android, iOS: Free)
- Threema (Android, iOS: Free)
- SilentPhone (Android, iOS: Free)
- Kik (Android, iOS: Free)
- IM+ (Android, iOS: Free)
- Tango (Android, iOS: Free)
For many people, the traditional SMS text message is still used, but out of style. There are now many apps that are able to send text message and do much more. You can send messages over the Internet, meaning that you don’t need to use up data on your cell phone. You also have options for voice, video and file-sharing to other users. Here below is part of the comments (edited) for some of the options presented at Tom’s Guide.
Facebook Messenger
Users sign in via Facebook and can send other users the usual chat messages, as well as voice messages and voice and video calls to other Messenger users, with extra features like GIF support and photo and location sharing. Should you opt to use Messenger, make sure to manage your settings to prevent Facebook from sharing your data.
WhatsApp is easy to set up. It is very popular, partly because it has lots of features and no ads. Users can send text, photos, voice and short video messages to their WhatsApp contacts. It has emoji and fully encrypted messaging between WhatsApp users.
Viber
Viber is easy to set up and offers a variety of options. Viber uses your phone number as your login, and the app syncs with your phone to help you find Viber-using contacts that are listed right after you install it. You can use this app to send text, stickers and emoticons, photos, voice and video messages for free to other Viber users. The Viber Out feature lets you call non-Viber numbers and landline phones worldwide for a fee.
Slack
Productivity and team-oriented messaging app Slack has been a hit for corporations and casual users with its mix of messaging, scheduling, management tools, and app integration.
Microsoft Teams (requires Office 365)
If your organization is using Office 365 then Teams is as good a choice as any other, and perhaps even better. Teams offers a rich set of features, from your basic group messaging, chat channels and organization tools to video and voice calls and file sharing. You get a fully searchable chat, customizable notifications, enterprise security and compliance features, and integration across the entire Office suite of tools and a variety of other services.
Telegram
A mobile messaging app for the security conscious user. Telegram features fast, encrypted chat messaging, with client-server encryption for standard chats.
Signal
Open Whisper Systems’ Signal (Android, iOS) is another fantastic messaging solution for security-conscious mobile users.
Group Me
Exactly as the name implies, GroupMe (Android, iOS) is a social messaging app with group conversations in mind.
With more than 697 million users, WeChat (Android, iOS) dominates in the Chinese mobile Web and is making a serious push for global reach. WeChat provides users with free mobile instant messaging, video and voice calls, group chat, and multimedia messaging (images, video, audio, stickers, and so on).
Line
Another Asian mobile powerhouse that’s made its mark is Japanese instant messaging app Line which now has more than 600 million users worldwide. Line offers chat, photo, video, and audio messaging, along with lively stickers and location sharing, as well as a social network-like Timeline system. It offers very large group conversations.
Snapchat
Snapchat (Android, iOS) may have soared in popularity as a simple self-destructing photo and video sharing and messaging app, but it’s also added so much more to its feature set, making it fantastically popular among younger users. At its core, users can send each other Snaps — photos, short videos, or messages that are only visible for a limited time before disappearing.
Skype
While Microsoft’s Skype (Android, iOS, Windows) is most known for its video and voice call functionality, the app also boasts a reasonably robust instant messaging system.