Messenger & Conferences

Messenger with encryption

2025-01-10

XMPP/Jabber

2025-01-09

The following apps support the XMPP protocol, originally known as Jabber. This is one of the oldest protocols in the instant-messaging world, but still very fresh and constantly being improved.

Snikket (5@52) Ǥ 33 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; XMPP client forked from Conversations
Quicksy (4.5@153) Ǥ 36 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Vorstellung 11/2018; fork of Conversations using your phone number as ID
blabber.im (4.2@205) Ǥ 31 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2022-08-17 Github; fork of Conversations
Conversations (Jabber / XMPP) (4.1@2,395; ~EUR 5.00) Ǥ 38 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / Share Location Plugin (4.6@96) Ǥ 6 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-12-28 Github; XMPP/Jabber; PGP/OTR/OMEMO; Wikipedia DE | EN; Vorstellung & Schnelleinstieg 5/2016; Anleitung für Anfänger 7/2018; ausführliche Vorstellung 9/2020; can act as UnifiedPush distributor
aTalk (Jabber / XMPP) (3.8@122) 28 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Xabber (3.5@12,329) Ǥ 11 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-11-27 Github
Stork IM (2.8@61) Ǥ 18 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2023-06-01 Github
Prav (0@0) 30 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Codeberg; Quicksy like fork of Conversations
Cheogram (0@0) 37 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ fork of Conversations
monocles chat (0@0) 36 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Codeberg
monocles social (0@0) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2022-07-17 Codeberg; based on movim
Conversations Classic (0@0) 32 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ source
another.im (0@0) 32 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Fork of Conversations
Moxxy (0@0) 14 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Codeberg

Matrix/riot/Element

2025-01-14

These are clients for the Matrix protocol. Don't mind the triple naming – it seems they like to rename the project a lot

SchildiChat (4.6@214) Ǥ 29 2 / SchildiChat Next (0@0) 17 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Review 10/2020 / Github
FluffyChat (4.3@453) Ǥ 27 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab; also available via its own F-Droid repo; supports UnifiedPush
Syphon (4.2@86) 10 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2022-10-25 Github; Matrix
Element - Secure Messenger (3.5@6,462) Ǥ 29 2 / Element X - Secure Chat & Call (3@249) Ǥ 18 1 Github; Video Anleitung 3/2021; Wikipedia DE | EN / Github
Librem Chat (3.5@70) Ǥ 31 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-04-11 fork of Riot.im
BundesMessenger (3.1@37) Ǥ 12 2 / BwMessenger (4.5@1,211) Ǥ 12 1
SmallTalk (0@0) 5 1 LastUpdate: 2023-01-08 Github; minimal Matrix client
NI2CE Messenger (0@0) Ǥ 19 2
Faraday (0@0) 29 1 Github

Self-description: „Nostr is an open protocol that is able to create a censorship-resistant global "social" network, transferring notes and other stuff using relays. It doesn't rely on any trusted central server, hence it is resilient; it is based on cryptographic keys and signatures, so it is tamperproof; it does not rely on P2P techniques, therefore it works.“

Amethyst (4.6@883) Ǥ 17 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; client for Nostr
Nozzle (0@0) 2 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Nozzle (0@0) 5 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2023-03-22 Github; a Twitter-like nostr client
Nostros (0@0) 9 1 Github
Primal (0@0) 9 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github

Miscellaneous encrypted messenger

2025-01-10

Signal Private Messenger (4.6@2,614,881) Ǥ 50 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Vorstellung 8/2018-3/2024 | Video-Vorstellung 1/2020; ausführlicher Test 12/2020; "Crypto-SMS" und verschlüsselte Telefonie (ehemals TextSecure + RedPhone)
Watomatic (4.6@896) 7 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Vorstellung 2/2021 | 3/2021; Intro 2/2021; leaving WhatsApp? Tell where you've gone to with this auto-responder!
Delta Chat (4.5@2) 30 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / Delta Chat (4.2@1,492) Ǥ 31 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; ausführlicher Testbericht 7/2020 / Vorstellung 6/2019 | 2/2020 | 4/2020; Wikipedia DE
Telegram (4.4@15,078,231) Ǥ 54 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Testbericht 3/2020; Vorstellung 8/2018-1/2021; Security Analysis 5/2017; Video Erklärung 7/2019; Wikipedia DE|EN; encryption and self-destruct timer
Rocket.Chat (4.4@14,688) Ǥ 28 3 Github; chat with screen and file sharing, and more
ShazzleChat (4.4@4,375) Ǥ 15 2 LastUpdate: 2022-08-30 Intro 5/2020
surespot encrypted messenger (4.3@4,210) Ǥ 10 3 LastUpdate: 2019-04-30 Github; Wikipedia DE|EN; send encrypted messages. unlock voice messages per in-app payment. AES end-to-end encryption.
Nekogram X (4.3@1,263) Ǥ 43 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
SimpleX Chat (4.3@1,010) 17 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Vorstellung 11/2022; Test 12/2022
Threema. The Secure Messenger (4.2@73,504; ~EUR 6.00) Ǥ 26 2 / Threema Work. For Companies (3.7@1,908) Ǥ 38 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / Threema Libre (0@0) 38 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Video Review 3/2019 (DE); Video Backup & Restore (3/2019); Video Threema Webchat Howto 2/2017 (DE); Threema Video Tutorials; Vorstellung 8/2018 | 11/2018-1/2021; Wikipedia DE|EN; Audit 11/2015 | 3/2019; (Datenschutz-) Testbericht 2/2020 ; FAQ; Libre (FOSS) version available via Threema’s own F-Droid repo; messenger with end-to-end encryption / Github
SafeSwiss® Private Messenger (4.2@594) Ǥ 32 4 Review 9/2021
Hoop Messenger (4.1@5,165) Ǥ 34 3 LastUpdate: 2021-09-24 Intro 4/2020
Briar (4.1@3,222) 22 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Video Intro 7/2017; Video Review 7/2018 | 9/2020; Vorstellung 9/2018-11/2023 | 10/2019 | 4/2020; Wikipedia DE | EN; FreieMessenger; ausführliche Besprechung 11/2020
Anonymous Messenger (3.9@215) 11 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ peer-to-peer, works over TOR
ginlo Private Messenger (3.8@586) Ǥ 24 3 Vorstellung 9/2018-7/2020
Session — Private Messenger (3.7@7,271) Ǥ 37 1 / Session (0@0) 35 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github / Github
Jami (3.7@1,808) Ǥ 24 1 Wikipedia EN; FAQ; Vorstellung 12/2019 | 5/2020; Testbericht 3/2020; Review 1/2021; desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
aTox (3.7@394) 9 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Kontalk Messenger (3.6@614) 32 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-07-12 Github; Vorstellung 8/2018
Wickr Me – Private Messenger (3.4@89,604) Ǥ 25 3 Review 9/2022; Wikipedia EN; end-to-end encryption with mission-impossible-flair (self-destructing messages)
Nextcloud Talk (3.2@1,559) Ǥ 39 1 Github
Chiffry Secure Messenger (3@857) Ǥ 26 1
TRIfA (2.9@129) 19 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Tox client
Wire - Secure Messenger (2.2@36,080) Ǥ 24 1 Github; Testberichte 4/2017 | 3/2020; Privacy-Warnung 7/2018; Vorstellung 8/2018 - 4/2020; free/gratis, encrypted communication: voice, video and group chats; cross platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows. Or in the web browser.
TigerConnect (2@5,426) Ǥ 33 4
ArcaneChat (0@0) 30 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Delta Chat client
Mercurygram (0@0) 50 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Telegram cllient
Dib2Qm (0@0) 10 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab; based on IMAP and QuickMSG (no centralized server)

Video and Audio Conferences

2025-01-09

Skype (4.4@11,751,490) Ǥ 43 3
Mumla — Mumble VoIP (4@649) 14 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ GitLab; audio calls/conferences; client for Mumble (Wikipedia DE | EN)
Jitsi Meet (3.7@51,982) Ǥ 18 4 Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Video Kurzanleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
Jami (3.7@1,808) Ǥ 24 1 Wikipedia EN; FAQ; Vorstellung 12/2019 | 5/2020; Testbericht 3/2020; Review 1/2021; desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
Nextcloud Talk (3.2@1,559) Ǥ 39 1 Github
Wire - Secure Messenger (2.2@36,080) Ǥ 24 1 Github; Testberichte 4/2017 | 3/2020; Privacy-Warnung 7/2018; Vorstellung 8/2018 - 4/2020; free/gratis, encrypted communication: voice, video and group chats; cross platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows. Or in the web browser.
Infomaniak kMeet (0@0) Ǥ 14 1 Github

Further Readings:

Mike’s Empfehlungs-Ecke: Messenger
Mike’s Messenger-Matrix
Messenger-Matrix der Piratenpartei
Hinweise zu Anbietern von Videokonferenzdiensten (PDF des Berliner BfDI)
Nostr: Eine Alternative zu Twitter – und Mastodon (3/2023)
The 8 Best Free Messaging Apps for Android (9/2022)
5 best messaging apps with end-to-end encryption to try in 2022 (6/2022)
Diese sicheren Messenger empfiehlt das FBI (12/2021)
What was that with E2EE? FBI Document Says the Feds Can Get Your WhatsApp Data — in Real Time (11/2021)
Messenger-Apps auf dem Smartphone – Digitaler Schutzschild Teil6 (6/2021)
Datenschutzfreundliche und sichere WhatsApp-Alternativen (5/2021)
Messenger: Unterschied zwischen Push und Polling (2/2021)
Homeoffice? Beliebte Dienste und Geheimtipps für Video-Chat (4/2020)
Vorstellung verschiedener Messenger: Warum Signal Messenger eine super Alternative zu WhatsApp ist (3/2020)
Die verrückte Welt der Messenger: Teil1 (1/2020) | Teil2 (2/2020)
Verschlüsselte Messenger: Threema, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp (11-2015 - 1/2021)
Wire, Hoccer, Kontalk (3/2017)

2025-01-20

IzzyOnDroid