What are the best alternatives to Whatsapp messenger?

Whatsapp is one of the best cross platform instant messaging app on the market and it’s only 99cents. Whatsapp basically piggy backs off your data plan and allows free messaging to your friends and relatives and it’s available on many handsets (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia and a few others). However, there are some users out there who might not be fond of this app so I thought I’ll list a few alternatives to Whatsapp for their consideration.

ChatOn

The Chaton application is mainly common with Samsung handsets, yet the application is used on multiple platforms. Chat On can even be used on mobiles such as Android, Bada, iOS and Blackberry. Apart from exchanging the warm messages, you can also share animated messages, pictures, videos, audio clips, and even find out the location of your favorite place. The most interesting componenet of ChatOn is the handwritten message facility and the app is also free!

Viber

To be considered a solid alternative to Whatsapp, an app needs to meet certain prerequisites such as offering a group chat, free instant messenging, ability to share information and well, Viber does all that and more! Firstly, like Whatsapp, you can message other contacts over 3G/4G or Wi-Fi, but the big plus with Viber is that it also allows you to make free overseas calls! There is no requirement for credit card details, usernames or purchasing within the app, Viber traces your existing contacts and identifies which ones have Viber installed. While iOS and Android users have been enjoying the coolness of Viber, soon RIM owners will get to join in the fun as Viber will soon roll out to Blackberry handsets.

ChatPlus

What I really liked about ChatPlus is that the app allows you to send personalised messages to your friends and relatives. ChatPlus presents you with a clear canvas and a variety of colours to choose from, the rest is up to you. I took the opportunity to write handwritten messages and you can also do the same with images and emotions. Like Whatsapp, ChatPlus allows you to share your location, chat with large groups, send a broadcast message and it even has a language translator. I was using ChatPlus on the iPhone which has a unique feature allowing you to insert a passcode on the app so none of your friends can post silly messages if they ever take your phone off you

GroupMe

 

 

 

 

 

 

These days everyone tries to stay connected with their friends and family through technology and for the most part social media allows us to do this. In saying that, not everyone has the time to sit on Facebook all day which is whereGroupMe comes in. This is one of the better alternatives to Whatsapp given you can group your contacts based on family, friends, work colleagues and all of the contact information is retrieved from your address book. GroupMe allows you to broastcast messages to large groups and interact one-on-one providing the other party has GroupMe installed also.

LiveProfile

My last review is of LiveProfile which contains a number of features. Apart from being a cost effective solution for sending messages, LiveProfile has a feature which confirms whether the recipient has received your message and read it or not. This is great but it can get a little creepy especially if you are avoiding someone Like WhatsApp, the app informs you if the recipient is typing a response and you can also post your status update, include a photo and use a nickname for your profile.

So there you have it..5 top alternatives to Whatsapp which are available across multiple platforms and the best part is they are all free. Give them a shot and feel free to leave a comment if this has helped you.