Open source alternatives to WhatsApp

3 projects on starwire do the same job. Ranked by how much of what WhatsApp does each one covers, read from its README and website. Ties go to the most active.

What WhatsApp does

  1. Private messagingcore
  2. Voice and video callscore
  3. Group chatscore
  4. End-to-end encryption
  5. Share photos, files and voice notes
  6. Desktop and web apps
  7. Status updates

Each dot in the table is one job, in this order. Square dots are core jobs and count double. Full means yes, half means partly. "See the evidence" under a project shows the line behind each one. Coverage is what a project documents, not how well it works or how hard it is to move to. How we score this

ProjectCoversStarsCommits, 12 weeksLast releaseClosed vs openedSetupLicense
hushEnd-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video app Replaces it85%499+3
0
 NoneToo few Hosted version AGPL-3.0
Covers all 3 core jobs. Partly: Share photos, files and voice notes. Not shown: Status updates.See the evidence
  • Private messagingcoreYesEnd-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, and video.
  • Voice and video callscoreYesVoice, video, screen and chat.
  • Group chatscoreYesReal E2EE for groups.
  • End-to-end encryptionYesEvery message, voice frame, and video frame is encrypted end-to-end
  • Share photos, files and voice notesPartlyattachments, device-link archives
  • Desktop and web appsYesNative builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
  • Status updatesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
databagSelf-hosted federated messenger light enough for small servers and Raspberry Pi Replaces it75%1.5k
0
 2 years agoToo few Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers all 3 core jobs. Partly: Desktop and web apps. Not shown: Share photos, files and voice notes; Status updates.See the evidence
  • Private messagingcoreYesA federated messenger for self-hosting
  • Voice and video callscoreYesAudio and Video Calls
  • Group chatscoreYesno limit on group thread members
  • End-to-end encryptionYesEnd-to-End encryption
  • Share photos, files and voice notesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Desktop and web appsPartlyMobile and Browser App Screens
  • Status updatesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
Signal-iOSSignal private messenger for iOS Not checked yet12k+5
846
 3 days ago95% Install like an app AGPL-3.0

Vital signs from GitHub, checked weekly. How we read these · How setup is read

All repos

New repos every two days, stars refreshed daily. Visits are counted without cookies, and the numbers are public. How it works Data RSS Newsletter

The best new open source, once a weekOne short email: the repo everyone is suddenly starring, a handful worth trying, and one hidden gem, each with a plain note on what it does. Free, with no tracking pixels.

Read past issues

↑ ↓ to move   Enter to choose   Esc to close
Follow starwire by RSSCopy an address into your feed reader.
The day's bestOne item a day: the repos rising fastest and the biggest new picks.starwire.foo/top.xml
Every new pickAll of them as they are added, up to 60 a day.starwire.foo/feed.xml
The weekly emailEach issue of the newsletter, once a week.list.starwire.foo/archive.xml