Private messaging without a middleman: these open protocols run on your own server and encrypt end-to-end. SimpleX Chat has no identifiers at all; Jami is peer-to-peer; Conduit is a light Matrix server you can pair with Element.
Open source alternatives to WhatsApp
Private messaging without a middleman: these open protocols run on your own server and encrypt end-to-end. SimpleX Chat has no identifiers a…
Compare
| Program | License | Self-hosted | Last release | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleX Chat | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 2026 |
| Jami | MIT | Yes | — | Oct 2020 |
| Conduit | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Sep 29, 2026 | Nov 2026 |
| Jami | MIT | Yes | — | Oct 2020 |
| Tox | GPL-3.0 | Yes | Mar 12, 2015 | Jul 2024 |
SimpleX Chat
Private messaging without user identifiers for people needing metadata-resistant chat
v7.0.3
★ 19,644
Jami
★ 28
Conduit
★ 603
Jami
★ 28
Tox
★ 8,743
How to choose
Compare the options on what matters for your case: the license (if you run a business, check commercial use), the platforms you already operate, and how actively each project releases. Every program above links to its official project page, release notes and source code.