For most people, WhatsApp is the default communication app on every phone and even desktops. It鈥檚 easy to send voice notes while you鈥檙e on the go and you can even use a business account to manage customer enquiries and sales.
And for the most part, it has worked incredibly well. It鈥檚 simple to navigate, uses end-to-end encryption for security and completely free for users. But there is a whole world of messaging apps that exist beyond Whatsapp, each offering something new. So who are the other players in the game?
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Why Are Businesses Looking Beyond WhatsApp?
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Every business needs a platform to communicate on, whether it鈥檚 for their internal teams or customers. While WhatsApp does have a tailored version for companies, it can be rather limited.
There isn鈥檛 a lot of automation features to save time or the ability to add multiple users onto one account. More recently, the rollout of in-app ads has received mixed reactions and there are ongoing concerns around the data privacy of users.
So whether it鈥檚 to schedule messages, use integrations with other platforms or better security, businesses are starting to look at other alternatives.
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Best Alternatives To WhatsApp
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Depending on your team鈥檚 needs and the features that you are after, here are some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp available for businesses of all sizes.
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1. Telegram
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Telegram has quickly become a user-favourite because it鈥檚 free, fast and cloud-based. So without needing a backup, users can access their messages from multiple devices which is pretty convenient. Users can also create group chats that can support up to 200,000 members which is useful for companies with very large teams.
It鈥檚 an ideal platform for companies who want to build communities to share updates with and those who need a lot of storage. Additionally, its end-to-end encryption for private chats give peace of mind to privacy-conscious users.
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2. Slack
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Slack has a very different layout compared to WhatsApp, but it鈥檚 extremely powerful for team communication. You can set up channels according to projects or clients to add relevant team members while also sending direct messages, hosting quick meetings known as 鈥渉uddles鈥� and sharing files.
It鈥檚 ideal for teams who work remotely or need to update each other often on projects. It can also be integrated with other platforms like Trello and Google Drive for easy cross-platform collaboration.
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3. Signal
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Signal is the go-to platform for those who work in sensitive industries where conversations need to be kept confidential. The platform is fully encrypted and doesn鈥檛 store any metadata as well as being open source. It may not have a great deal of features but its security is unmatched.
For those working in law or healthcare, it offers maximum privacy where no data is tracked and one-on-one conversations are always secured.
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4. Discord
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Discord used to be an app built specifically for gamers, but it has completely evolved. Now, it鈥檚 an entire messaging platform with voice and video calling features. Users can also create separate communities that each have certain permissions and integrations.
It鈥檚 ideal target market are online communities and creators or companies who want to build communities to help drive their customer engagement.
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5. Microsoft Teams
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Similar to Slack, Microsoft Teams is more of a collaboration space than purely just a messaging app. In addition to chats, voice and video calls, it is tightly integrated with Office 365 tools so if you already use Microsoft platforms, it鈥檚 a no-brainer to use Teams.
The platform is especially useful for those who often run video calls and need to share documents with each other, usually corporations and bigger companies.
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6. Google Chat
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Google Chat forms part of the Google Workspace and can be integrated with Gmail and Google Meet. It offers chats, threads and channels for teams and great to use if the business already uses other Google tools. So you could discuss a project in Chat, attach a file from Drive and then get onto a Google Meet call to chat about it further all in one, easy workflow.
It鈥檚 nice to use for small teams who want to keep communications in one place without adding an additional platform.
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7. Viber
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Viber is a communication platform that offers public chats, both voice and video calls and end-to-end encryption for privacy. Users can also make calls internationally, which is great for businesses with an overseas client base. It also has business-specific features like chatbots for customer support.
It鈥檚 a very similar platform to WhatsApp but just gives users more customisation.
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8. Facebook Messenger
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If your customers are active on Facebook, then using Messenger is the easiest and most convenient way to reach them. It鈥檚 already integrated with your business page so teams can utilise it for marketing and support as well as use chatbots to improve the overall customer experience.
Whether you want to use it just for casual communication or tailored marketing campaigns, it鈥檚 the go-to for customer-facing businesses.
