Any good alternatives to WhatsApp or Discord for group chats?
Initially used by gamers, Discord has evolved into a universal communication hub. It is now utilized in workplaces for diverse groups. The popularity of Discord stemmed from its stability and user-friendliness.
WhatsApp is another instant messaging app that is being used by everyone for private communication. Group chats are also popular among WhatsApp users, but such group chat rooms, unlike Discord, have limitations in the number of participants and lack advanced moderation.
Another important thing for group chat room participants is anonymity. While Discord does not require a phone number to join the conversation, WhatsApp cannot be used without one.
Thus, let's summarize the requirements for an ideal instant messenger for group chats:
- No phone number
- Unlimited conversation history and file size
- Advanced moderation
- Unlimited number of participants
- Support of all modes of communication: text, video, and voice
- Core features: screen sharing, file sharing
- Cross-platform support and synchronization
- Low-bandwidth support
After setting the list of requirements, let's take a look at instant messengers that satisfy them. We'll check both free and paid ones to understand the difference.
Free alternatives to WhatsApp or Discord for group chats
The following list of free alternatives to WhatsApp or Discord for group chats includes the messaging apps that satisfy the requirements for an anonymous and powerful group chat messaging app.
Session
Session is a free, open-source messaging app ideal for group chats. By default, group chats in applications such as Telegram and Facebook Messenger only support transport encryption, rather than end-to-end encryption. Even those applications that do support end-to-end encryption in group chats (e.g. Signal and WhatsApp) still use central servers to store and disseminate messages. The deployment of encrypted group chats in Session focuses on meeting scaling and encryption requirements. It uses a decentralized network called the Oxen Service Node Network (built on blockchain infrastructure). If the recipient is offline, an encrypted message is temporarily stored on the network until they come online. Storage nodes can't read or alter the message.
Because of onion routing Session is heavier on bandwidth and slightly slower than centralized apps. Group chats functionality is basic compared to competitors. Session is great for high-risk users owing to its anonymity and decentralized network.
Element
Element requires an email for registration. Its community edition is available for free on a public server. Element supports a large group chat room capacity. However, to support video chats, it needs additional integration with Jitsi, an open-source video-conferencing software. Still, the features for group chats provided by Element are great: file sharing, threaded conversations, inviting users from links, access control, and member roles. Thus, if you need secure group chat rooms, you need to purchase Element's enterprise version.
Virola Messenger
Virola Messenger can be fully hosted on your server and is available for free for small teams of up to 10 users. Virola provides a high level of anonymity for users. No email or phone number is required to set Virola up and running. Users who join the conversation from links need only the username and password to connect to the char server. They do not need to provide their emails or phone numbers. Moreover, you can connect to Virola through your .onion domain for a higher security level. Group chat rooms in Virola are customizable and can be set for different purposes with the help of permissions and user roles.
New users can join needed chat rooms via invitation links. Virola supports video conferencing, file sharing, and remote control. Chat history and attachments can be stored without limitations, unless a chat room moderator or admin decides to clear the conversation history.
Virola Messenger is great for anonymous support groups, psychological support, or abuse. reports. To start a chat conversation, a user does not need to provide any personal information.
Paid alternatives to WhatsApp or Discord for group chats
Paid messaging apps for group chat support more features compared to free ones. In any case, you will need to share your information while submitting payment. Still, the apps we are going to discuss do not require a corporate email address or phone number for registration.
Slack
To register with Slack, you can use your email or Google / Apple ID. The group meetings feature is supported only in the paid Slack versions. It includes text messaging, audio and video chats, file sharing, and huddles.
In terms of security, Slack is secure enough, but not in the same category as privacy-first messengers like Signal or Element. In Slack, messages and files are encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256). Data is stored securely in Slack's cloud infrastructure (AWS). No self-hosted version is available.
Zoho Cliq
Zoho Cliq is a cloud-based corporate messenger. It does not require a phone number for registration, but it still needs an email address to create an account. The free version supports group chats with up to 100 participants, but with limited features.
In terms of security, Zoho Cliq provides in-transit and at-rest encryption. All communication between clients and servers is encrypted using TLS, and data stored on Zoho servers is encrypted with AES-256. Like Slack or Teams, Zoho can technically access chat content.
Why users need anonymous chats
Various organizations that provide psychological support to victims or accept reports about crimes need to assure chat participants that they can anonymously join group support chats or a private chat room with a representative. In such situations, users don't want to link conversations to their email, phone number, or social media account. It's a safer space to talk about mental health, addiction, abuse, or trauma without fear of being judged.
Such anonymous chats allow people in countries with censorship or surveillance to speak openly. Participants can express controversial opinions or explore personal topics (politics, religion, sexuality) without risking real-world consequences. Teens, students, or introverts may prefer meeting new people anonymously before revealing personal details. Anonymous chats reduce risks like harassment or stalking.