Messaging

European messenger alternatives to WhatsApp, Slack and Teams. End-to-end encrypted and without US data transfer.

5 verified providers GDPR compliant

All Providers in Detail

Hand-picked European messaging services. All providers verified and compared.

Element

Open Source

Decentralized messenger based on the Matrix protocol

United Kingdom (EU subsidiaries in DE/FR)
instead of WhatsApp / Slack
  • Federated Matrix protocol, no central control
  • End-to-end encryption (Olm/Megolm)
  • Self-hosting or managed EU cloud available
  • Used by German and French government agencies
Community free (self-hosted) · Enterprise on request

Threema

Open Source

Messenger without mandatory phone number registration from Switzerland

Switzerland
instead of WhatsApp / Signal
  • No phone number required, fully anonymous
  • End-to-end encryption for all messages
  • No metadata storage
  • Open source since 2020
One-time €6 · Threema Work from €3/user/mo

Olvid

Open Source

ANSSI-certified messenger without central user database from France

France
instead of WhatsApp
  • ANSSI-certified (CSPN)
  • No phone number or email required
  • Proprietary cryptographic protocols, independent of Signal protocol
  • Share files without size limits
Free (personal use) · Business plans on request

Delta Chat

Open Source Submitted

Open-source messenger using the email protocol from Germany

Germany
instead of WhatsApp / Signal
  • Email protocol as transport, no dedicated account or phone number
  • End-to-end encryption by default (OpenPGP/Autocrypt) since version 2
  • Federated: works with any email server or Chatmail relay
  • Cross-platform (Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows)
Free (open source)

SimpleX Chat

Open Source Submitted

Messenger without user identifiers from the United Kingdom

United Kingdom
instead of WhatsApp / Signal
  • No profile, no user IDs, no phone number
  • End-to-end encryption with post-quantum protection
  • Federated: own server hosting possible
  • Open source under AGPLv3
Free (donation-funded)