The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov creates new confusion among the users – what if Telegram is banned? What are the best Telegram alternatives worth trying? Telegram, an open-source messaging app, offers amazing features to connect with the world. After the news of Telegram banning everywhere, it is obvious to look for a free Telegram alternative that offers similar features.
Even though, Telegram is unique in its own way; we have found a few applications that may be useful for users. However, you may still miss the “movie downloading” and privacy features. In this article, I am going to discuss free apps like Telegram that users can try if Telegram is already banned in your country or if there is any possibility of banning (after a recent scenario)
5 Best and Free Telegram Alternatives
Signal
Signal is a long-time competitor of Telegram that boasts almost similar features while claiming additional security features and powerful end-to-end encryption. At its core, it is a messaging app. It is free and easy to use, with strong end-to-end encryption that keeps your communication completely private.
Top Features of Signal –
- Phone Number Privacy and Usernames
- Phone Number Privacy and Usernames: Deeper Dive
- Text Formatting
- Ad free
- No tracking of personal data
- Change the Signal app icon on your phone
- Edit Message
What does it Lack? –
- Limited number of users in video calls
- Cannot send large files more than 100 MB
- No backup for messages and files
Hardly anyone is unaware of the WhatsApp application that has more than 2 billion users worldwide. WhatsApp can be considered a perfect and free Telegram alternative when it comes to a secure and encrypted messaging service and group connectivity. However, except for messaging, no other features exactly match with Telegram (leave the basic features of chat, photo & video sharing).
Top Features of WhatsApp –
- Highly End-to-end encryption for secure chats
- No advertising at all
- User-friendly interface
- Community building that makes connectivity stronger
- Worldwide connectivity
What does it Lack? –
- Easy to spread misinformation
- No content censorship
- Smaller group size (256 members)
- No large file-sharing options
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Skype
Skype has been here for a long around and yes it is not here only for business meetings but it is the best alternative to Telegram. Available for almost all devices, Skype offers amazing features that include file sharing, real-time audio-video translation, etc. One unique feature of Skype is that it helps you get a local phone number based on your location (currently available to 25 countries/regions).
Top Features of Skype –
- Audio and HD video calling
- Call recording and Live subtitles
- Screen sharing
- Private conversations that you don’t like to be seen by other
- Get a local phone number
- Share locations
- Send large files
- Real-time Skype translator
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What does it Lack? –
- Group video calling limited to 100 member
- Key security issues as it doesn’t verify an individual’s identity
- No features like a Telegram to download movies or videos
Google Chat
I personally think that Google Chat is a highly underrated application that requires recognition. As a part of Google Workspace, it allows you to chat with your friends, and colleagues, collaborate with teams, etc. The best thing about Google Chat is that it allows you to share files directly from your Google Drive, slides, and other products of Google Workspace. When you are looking for apps similar to Telegram, then you can try this.
Top Features of Google Chat –
- Easy navigation across Google Workspace products
- Team collaboration via text
- Has bot features that allow weather updates, language translation, and even the game configuration functionality
- Large number of users in a group (up to 8,000)
- Share all types of files via Google Workspace
What does it Lack? –
- No end-to-end encryption for messages
- A relatively smaller number of members in groups (8,000 << 200,000)
- Doesn’t allow features like downloading movies and videos as Telegram does
Viber
Viber is also a true competitor and among the best alternatives to Telegram. It is best known for its high-quality audio and video services that even outperform Telegram when it comes to reliability and quality. They both offer a highly secure environment to users however, Telegram easily outshines Viber in terms of popularity, speed, and user-friendly interface.
Top Features of Viber –
- Messages are encrypted by default in Viber
- Offer end-to-end encryption (limited to individual chats)
- Invisibility – Let users read messages while not knowing by sender
- Smart notifications that let users receive notifications from a specific person
What does it Lack? –
- Not have secret chat as Telegram does
- Limited cloud storage
- Chatting sessions automatically terminate after 24 hours or after 60 messages
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Conclusion
Telegram itself is a unique application that offers staggering features like large file sharing and video downloading features. Even though we have discussed the potential free Telegram alternatives, there are hardly any applications that can truly replace Telegram. However, if your government going to ban the Telegram app in your region after recent outrage, these apps are worth considering.
