10 Best Chat Apps for Android, iOS & Web [2024]
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
-Peter Drucker
In this world of minutes of messaging and seconds of sharing information, the need for chat apps has grown with several purposes. Finding the best messaging apps among people and businesses is sky-high, and so are free text messaging providers.
In this article, let’s find the top 10 real-time chat apps with fantastic features for mobile and web.
The broad term “real-time chat apps” covers social media, team collaboration, and business meetings. We found the list; choose what suits you best!
Table of Contents
What is a Chat App?
A chat app or messaging app is software that allows users to connect in real-time through the Internet. Messaging apps are available on various devices, including mobile, desktop, and web.
Chat applications offer a range of features, such as instant messaging, voice calls, video calls, group chats, file sharing, and other interactive elements like gifs, emojis, stickers, and more.
While looking into the chat app types, typically, it’s classified as four based on the use cases:
- Consumer-Focused Chat Apps: This type of app is widely used for personal communication with personalized and user-friendly features.
- Business-Focused Chat Apps: Built for internal enterprise communication with integration support to add other business tools.
- Social Chat Apps: In-app messaging integrated into social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram for real-time messaging.
- Specialized Chat Apps: Secured and reliable chat apps built for healthcare, education, and gaming.
Choosing or building the best chat app is possible based on users’ needs and preferences.
Integrating in-app chat API with existing apps is the best and most efficient solution for the chat experience.
Let’s deep dive into the top chat service providers of 2024 which are worth trying.
Top 10 Best Chat Apps for Web and Mobile
10 Best Chatting Apps for Android, iOS & Web are WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Line, WeChat, Facebook, Signal, Threema, Slack, and QQ. You may choose your provider based on their features and more.
1. WhatsApp
The Undisputed Ruler Of Free Encrypted Chat App
Ready to be installed back in 2009, WhatsApp paved the way for sending and receiving messages over a data connection. Later acquired by Facebook (also known as Meta) in 2014, WhatsApp built a feature-rich and growing user base.
As of 2024, WhatsApp has two billion users around the world for its huge real-time features.
WhatsApp’s Stand Out Features
WhatsApp, we can call it an instant messaging feature by another name. You can send messages, make voice calls and video calls, and do everything with a top-notch experience.
Apart from text messaging, this chat app has end-to-end encryption for all conversations and calls.
Wondering about encryption after hearing it from every other messaging app? Here, WhatsApp’s dedicated encryption feature removes all messages from its server once they are delivered.
Here are some of the notable features of WhatsApp:
- Media storage and sharing
- Status updates
- WhatsApp web and desktop support
- Disappearing messages
- Communities
- Polls
- Reactions
Chat App for Social Collaboration
- Pros: Group chats, event planning, shared interests, and online communities
- Cons: Lack of topic-based chats, limited search functionality, privacy concerns.
WhatsApp for Business Collaboration
- Pros: Quick response over customer inquiries, payment integration, team collaboration and marketing.
- Cons: Lack of business specific features, scalability issues, limited analytics, not as professional as other encrypted chat apps.
2. Telegram
Private Chat App For Android, Ios, Windows, Mac OS
Telegram is one of the best chat apps for transporting messages with security concerns. However, it has some limitations with encryption; we will look into that later. Launched as an iOS chat app in 2013, it was later developed for Android in the same year.
With 900 million active users as of 2024, Telegram has some features that will provide you with a complete private chat experience.
Start with one-on-one messaging. You can create 200,000 participants or channels. This includes sending text messages, group audio, and video calls.
For end-to-end encryption, Telegram will store your conversation on its server.
Here are some of the notable features of Telegram:
- Large file sharing
- Accommodate large users up to 200,000 in a group
- In-built themes
- Secret chats
- Voice and video calls
- Supports multiple accounts simultaneously
Telegram for Social Collaboration
- Pros: Large group chats, best for media sharing, free and accessible with bots integration.
- Cons: Lack of structured features, privacy concerns, limited search functionality
Telegram for Enterprise Communication
- Pros: Fast and efficient communication, free in-app chat, bots for automation, voice and video chats.
- Cons: No business-specific features, scalability challenges, security concerns, or professional customization.
3. Viber
Best Messaging App For Social Communications
Viber is another end-to-end best chat app that offers the same messaging features as WhatsApp. This app has both free and paid models with standard end-to-end encryption.
Along with text messaging, Viber offers decent voice and video calls. Viber Out is a premium service that allows users to make voice calls to mobile or landline, ideally non-Viber users. Like VoIP calls, Viber Out is the best but paid feature of $5.99 per month.
Some of the notable features of Viber:
- Unlimited text messaging
- Voice and video calls
- Custom stickers
- Public chat and communities
- Hidden and disappearing chat
- Viber Wink for sending self deleting image and videos
Viber for Social Collaboration
- Pros: Wide user base, free text, voice and video calls, public chats, and communities.
- Cons: File sharing limitations, privacy concerns, and limited messaging features compared to other chat platforms.
Viber for Business Collaboration
- Pros: Viber Out for international business calls, business messages, and group internal chats.
- Cons: No scalability and customization are available, no screen sharing and whiteboards, limited analytics, and a lack of dedicated business features.
4. Line
Payment Integrated Chat App For Both Mobile And Desktop
Line is an encrypted free chat app available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. It has unlimited chat features and functionality. Developed by the Japan-based corporation Line, it allows users to send messages, connect voice and video calls, and even play games.
Line has different app sectors that cover major real-time chat features, such as Line Pay for integrated mobile payments and Line Timeline for current updates. This private chat app follows the letter-sealing approach for end-to-end encryption for all chats.
Some of the Notable Features of Line
- In-app messaging with multi-media sharing
- Individual and group voice and video calls
- Digital wallet
- Stickers and online games
Line as Social Messaging App
- Pros: Strong user base (popular in Asia), diverse features, public chats and communities, creative tools, and in-app purchases.
- Cons: Only regional focus, privacy concerns, limited group participants, and a maximum multimedia file sharing limit of 1GB.
Line as Business Collaboration App
- Pros: Free communication channels, group chats, in-app purchasesCons: The Line is popular as a social app but lacks a business image and focuses on the consumer market.
- Cons: The Line is popular as a social app but lacks a business image and focuses on the consumer market.
5. WeChat
Private Messaging App With Core In-App Features
WeChat is another free chat app on our list of top 10 apps with amazing features. Tencent developed this app, and it is widely used in China and other parts of the world. With WeChat, you can send and receive text, voice, and video calls. Like in Line, you can also play games on this messaging platform.
WeChat’s features include mobile payments and the ability to share live updates with friends. With end-to-end encryption, you can use WeChat on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
The Notable Features of WeChat
- Social networking
- Instant messaging and calling
- Mobile payments
- Mini Programs: Access to third-party apps and services.
WeChat as Social App
- Pros: With the conversation in-app chat API, WeChat provides real-time messaging, one-on-one and group audio and video calls, social networking, and mini-programs.
- Cons: This app’s popularity is only regional-focused. Subject to Chinese Government censorship, limited content.
WeChat as a Business Chat APP
- Pros: Mini-programs allow the creation of customized mini-applications, official business accounts, and data analytics.
- Cons: Complex interface, no scalable options, censorship limitations, no dedicated business solutions.
6. Facebook Messenger
Best Collaboration & Texting App For Mobile And Web
Messenger is a well-known social messaging app, contrary to the popularity of Facebook. With an easy signup, you can log into Messenger without a Facebook account.
This real-time chat app includes basic messaging features. You can send text messages to groups or individuals of up to 250 people. Enjoy voice and video calls with your friends along with Snapchat-like filters. With the power of Meta AI, you can chat with bots and generate images.
While investigating encryption, Facebook Messenger is introducing end-to-end encryption. However, since it allows community messages, marketplace chats, and professional chats, those aren’t encrypted.
Some of the Notable Features of Messenger
- Integration with Facebook for best chat experience
- High-quality voice and video calls
- Impressive features includes stickers, GIFs, and reactions
- Supports multiple platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows.
Messenger as a Social Communication App
- Pros: Massive user base, easy to connect with people. Rich in features with Facebook integration.
- Cons: Privacy concerns, limited professional features, designed specifically for personal communication.
7. Signal
Secure Texting App For Mobile And Web
Signal the WhatsApp alternative for its neat and functional chat capabilities. With little room for customization (themes and backgrounds), Signal offers some of the same features as WhatsApp. This includes voice and video calling with encryption.
For extended security and privacy, Signal allows you to set expiration dates and times for messages. Once a message expires, it’s no longer recoverable. Even though you sign up with your mobile number, it’s completely masked.
Some of the Notable Features of Signal
- End-to-end encryption
- Unlimited voice and video calls
- Group chats
- Sealed and secured privacy
Signal as a Social Chat App
- Pros: Open source code with cross-platform compatibility with simple and intuitive UI.
- Cons: Chat backup limitations.
Signal as a Business Communication App
- Pros: Potential for customization and integration with business systems.
- Cons: Limited business features.
8. Threema
Enterprise-Made Messaging App
Threema is an encrypted chat app for both individuals and businesses. With a high focus on user privacy, this texting app is built in Swiss and is made and hosted on GDPR-compliant servers in Switzerland.
As a top chat service provider, this app supports multi-platform compatibility for Android, iOS, Web, Mac, Windows and Linux.
With the active 12 million users, this app allows users to send and receive instant messaging, voice calls and video calls. Moreover, with its messaging API, you can send and receive chats using your own software.
Some of the Notable Features of Threema Chat
- Top-down communication
- Professional user management
- Automation and integration
- Targeted information distribution
- Integration of third-party software
- MDM support
Threema as a Social Chat App
- Pros: Anonymity (users can create an account by providing personal information) highly reliable.
- Cons: Limited features as this chat platform focuses on enterprise communication.
Threema as a Business Communication App
- Pros: Unparalleled security, fully encrypted, and supports cross-platform compatibility.
- Cons: Potential for higher costs.
9. Slack
Professional Communication Platform With Real-Time Chat Features
Adopted by enterprises globally, Slack is the best enterprise communication app, with 20 million active users.
Compared with social collaboration, Slack revolutionized business workgroups with fast, reliable private chat apps. With real-time messaging, Slack allows users to share files, have voice and video calls with a team, and separate channels for organizing teams.
From startups to enterprises, Slack will be the best productivity platform. If you’re a tech-savvy team and more dependent on asynchronous calling, Slack will be a great option for you.
Some of the Notable Features of Slack
- Dedicated channels for topic-based chat
- Third-party tools integration
- Unlimited file sharing
- Minimal customization
Slack as Enterprise Chat App
- Pros: Search functionality, robust in-app messaging feature set, channel based organization.
- Cons: Steeper learning curve.
Slack as Social Messaging App
- Slack is completely built for business communication.
10. QQ (Tencent)
Instant Messaging Software With Interesting Chat Features
QQ, or Tencent QQ, is a chat app developed by Tencent, the famous app development company that followed WeChat.
This real-time texting app had 600 million active users in 2023. Apart from messaging, this app contains voice and video calls, file sharing, social networking, and accessing groups based on users’ unique interests.
All the chat in and out in this chat app is encrypted for better security.
Some of the Notable Features of QQ
- Online messaging with multimedia messages
- Casual voice and video calls
- Files and documents sharing
- Social networking
QQ as Social Collaboration Messaging App
- Pros: Diverse in-app chat features, in-built payment systems, mini progress and strong social integrations.
- Cons: Regional focus, Censorship limitations like WeChat, and privacy concerns.
QQ as Business Communication Texting App
- QQ is dedicatedly build for social communication for individuals.
Why to Build Your Own Chat App Rather Than Choosing?
Hope our guide on the top 10 best chat apps helps you find the right platform to start with.
However, you may not find the chat service provider with the features that you’re looking for, or it may be the one available in one app and another doesn’t.
The listed best messaging apps don’t offer flexible customization for personalized chat experience, especially for enterprise communication.
That’s why considering the way to build your own chat app using chat API will be the perfect choice.
Even though choosing the texting app from this guide saves you time, building a messaging SDK comes with customization and added features that the list can’t compete with.
Build Your Best Messaging App with MirrrorFly
Mirrorfly offers white-label chat APIs and SDKs for businesses to integrate real-time messaging, voice, and video capabilities with minimal effort.
Start with the question of why MirrorFly. These SDKs are completely self-hosted and flexible to customize branding, features and even hosting based on business requirements. 1000+ in-app messaging features and covers all use cases, including healthcare, education, and call center solutions with custom security.
The good part? You can resell the messaging solution endlessly with a one-time upfront cost. Contact MirrorFly today!
Vigneshwar is a seasoned digital marketer and blogger, extremely passionate about driving search engine visibility for websites. He thoroughly enjoys exploring emerging technologies and is currently honing his expertise in Chat APIs and their associated tech stacks.