Top 8 Facebook Messenger Alternatives iPhone

One of the great things that Facebook has done in recent years is introduce a standalone Messenger app to reflect the chat options found both on the website and in their app. This is great, since so many people these days only use Facebook to communicate with friends, and don’t spend that much time uploading photos or updating statuses. Considering that many people use a data plan these days, the option to limit the data that gets transferred by getting rid of all the photos and profile stuff is a great option. It means that you don’t have to pay for data that you aren’t interested in using, and can limit the app to its messaging functionality and nothing else. There are however those who quit Facebook for completely understandable moral reasons! Which is why it is perhaps worth considering one of these nice Facebook Messenger alternatives that we’ve put together in the following list. There are so many messaging apps out there these days for the iPhone that it’s really difficult to come up with just eight, so apologies if we missed our your favorite! Feel free to comment in the comments section below and let us know your own favorite messenger apps.

8. KakaoTalk (Free)

KakaoTalk seems like a nice, simple place to start when considering viable alternatives to Facebook Messenger. Mainly because it is more of a fast, stripped down option so is perfect for those who are sick of all the stuff that comes with both Facebook and WhatsApp. It currently boasts a userbase of over 150 million people around the world, which is great and means that while your friends might not be using it yet, they could be in the near future. Who knows? Perhaps you will be the one friend that first introduced them to the app! – Download from iTunes

7. FireChat (Free)

FireChat is a curious entry in that while it is a messaging app and one that could work as a nice alternative for Facebook Messenger users, it’s actually a whole lot more than that. It is based around the idea of proximity, and basically allows you to chat with anyone around your completely free and without the need for an internet connection. You can even choose the off the grid option to allow you to communicate with strangers within 200 feet of your location. There’s a reason why this app has become very popular when it comes to rallies and events. – Download from iTunes

6. LINE (Free)

While we often include LINE in such lists for its messaging purposes, I think the main aspect of the app and indeed what it does best is still the free voice and video calls. These can be carried out on a 3G connection but we would recomment doing so over WiFi, especially with video since it can really eat into your data plan otherwise! The app is currently available across a range of different platforms, including both iOS and Android but also such alternatives as Windows Phone and Blackberry, as well as online with your desktop or laptop computer, whether that is a PC or a Mac. LINE has recently introduced a nice timeline feature and 10 second video clip tool, which is a nice touch but seems to resemble Facebook and Vine respectively. So yes, not a nice feature if you are creating a list for those who want to avoid Facebook Messenger! – Download from iTunes

5. WeChat (Free)

WeChat is one of those messaging apps that has flown under the radar somewhat in the US and has still managed to encourage a large western following. Part of the reason for this is the app’s popularity in the East: it hails from China, and is one of the most popular messaging apps in that particular country. It represents a nice alternative to the likes of Facebook Messenger, and like WhatsApp requires you to sign up and sign in with your phone number rather than a username and password. This will allow you to see all of the numbers in your contacts list that have been attached to WeChat or that use WeChat. With the app, you can then send messages, photos, location info and a whole lot more. There are also video and audio calling options! – Download from iTunes

4. Snapchat (Free)

These days, to succeed in a market that is as busy as the messaging application industry is these days, you have to innovate. And this is certainly what Snapchat have done, and is perhaps the reason that the app has become as successful as it is. The idea of communicating mainly via images rather than text is one thing, but their self destructing messages are a stroke of genius and keeps your phone from becoming clogged up with useless data! – Download from iTunes

3. Kik (Free)

Kik continues to steadily grow as one of the more popular messaging platforms out there at present, and is now available not only for iOS and Android but for Windows Phone, among others. I’d say it could be considered as a rival to WhatsApp and of course Facebook Messenger, but these days those apps almost have a monopoly on the market. Still, Kik started in 2010 and by 2013 had accumulated well over 100 million users, which I guess is as good an illustration as you will find when it comes to the app’s popularity these days. The thing that does seem to set it apart when compared to other apps (and something that other apps are now trying to emulate) is the built in browser that comes with Kik. This is a great way to browse and chat at the same time, and means that you don’t have to divide your time between the app and something like Safari. – Download from iTunes

2. Telegram (Free)

Telegram is perhaps the one app that I hasted to recommend to people these days, especially those who are perhaps sick of Facebook or WhatsApp, and everything that comes with these two particular options. I love Telegram because it has a nice, clean interface and boasts a particular emphasis when it comes to both speed and security. So if you are looking for an app that allows you to send messages quicker, and one that encrypts these messages as they are sent to ensure that your personal data does not fall into the wrong hands, then Telegram is the way to go! – Download from iTunes

1. WhatsApp (Free)

Considering that Facebook recently purchased WhatsApp, I guess that considering this as a viable alternative is somewhat silly. Especially since the two apps have begun to resemble each other in way that many had predicted since the headline grabbing acquisition last year. There is also the fact that WhatsApp is not free like all the other messaging apps to make the list but costs 99 cents a year after the first year, which may be a matter of pennies but does definitely turn some users off. That said, the sheer numbers that use WhatsApp these days is enough of a reason to switch, since the chances are that your friends on Facebook are now also on WhatsApp, which may have been unthinkable a while back but is now definitely true. – Download from iTunes