free (libre) messengers
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on the subject of “Messenger” and “Alternatives to WhatsApp”
| "I have nothing to hide and no secrets from WhatsApp/Facebook/Google". That is a fallacy, because: "It's not about secrets, but about freedom, constitutional security and self-determined decisions about one's own data." |
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Overview
1. Quick Start
2. Reading recommendations
3. News / latest changes
4. Donations
5. Miscellaneous
The Free Messenger Initiative has been nominated for the Bundespreis 2024 (external) of the “German Foundation for Consumer Protection”.
Quick Start
For hurried people who are looking for a free alternative to WhatsApp for Android and immediately want to use a free messenger system without delay:
| Target | Technology | Short Info | Installation e. g. from |
|---|---|---|---|
| (All links refer to EXTERNAL sources!) | |||
| Simple chatting with phone number (similar to WhatsApp) | with same-type chat servers | Requires a chat address/user ID (with phone number) on the chat-server “quicksy.im” (chatting with contacts on other servers is possible) | Quicksy (F-Droid, PlayStore) |
| Simple chattening without phone number | with same-type chat servers | Requires a chat address/user ID (without personal data) on a chat-server (Several clients are available) | Conversations (F-Droid, PlayStore) monocles chat (F-Droid Yaxim (F-Droid, PlayStore - without E2EE) |
| broadest reachability | all e-mail servers | chatting based on e-mail addresses (yes, it works!) Limitation: without modern messenger features like online status |
Delta Chat (F-Droid, PlayStore) |
| Sensitive special areas | without chat server (direct) | For journalists / activists with high security needs Restriction: Only texts | Briar (F-Droid, PlayStore) |
- More details about the differences can be found below via the Reading recommendations.
- Why the Quick Start item is the way it is? For the “WhatsApp use case”, I consider the international standard XMPP more suitable overall than Matrix, which has the edge as a team messenger.
Cross-reference: System comparison XMPP/Matrix
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Reading Recommendations
The information compiled on these pages is very extensive. For a quick start, there are therefore target group-based reading recommendations. New visitors are also advised to read the “Why” section.
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News / Latest Changes
| Please: |
| If anyone finds outdated content or broken links, I would be very grateful for a short information. |
02./04.09.2025
Why not!
Information and invitation
Some of our public chat rooms have been moved to other servers. Here is the current overview:- „Freie Messenger“ (DE) / chat address freie-messenger@chat.openim.de
- New: „Free Messenger“ (EN) / chat address free-messenger@chat.openim.de
- „Chatstandard (XMPP)“ (DE) / chat address chatstandard@chat.openim.de
- „IT-Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Privatsphäre“ (DE) / Chatadresse xmpp:it@chat.disroot.org
- „Schulen“ (DE) / chat address schulen@chat.yax.im
22.06.2025
Messenger general
- Overview Time history
- New information on BundesMessenger
Why
- General information on Data protection added and
- Section on Data sovereignty newly included
Why not!
Secret carriers
- Info sheet “Messenger in sensitive areas ” updated
Messenger in general
- Android permissions revised
System comparison
- New Comparison “secuchart” included
- New team messenger “Prose”
Chat standard XMPP
- New section Data protection
- 3D animation of the server connections added
- Data protection recommendations added
- New: Chat terms
Matrix
- Update of Matrix; among other things:
- new section advantages & disadvantages
- new section inconsistencies
- new tip/matrix server “ejabberd”
- New: Data protection with Matrix
- Update of the Thoughts on Matrix
- Update of Matrix; among other things:
Serverless systems
- New client Tilde-Friends at Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB)
Terms
- Additional information on interoperability
- Thoughts on end-to-end encryption revised
- New section TOR at anonymity
- English translation of the Graphic on interoperability and federation
References
- Article in the caritas magazine: Free messengers enable confidential communication
- Myth “Data protection paradise Switzerland”
New: English translation of …
- Messenger Administration
- Messenger Android permissions
- Messenger Decision basis
- Messenger Decision support
- email chat
… as well as many small additions and corrections.
Donations
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2024: Monthly: 5,- (=60€/year) One-time donations: 10,- / Robert 20,-
Thanks a lot!
The last years:
- 2023: Monthly: 5,- One-time donations: 500 USD / 20,-
- 2022: Monthly: 5,- One-time donations: 24,- / 20,- / 20,-
- 2021: Monthly: 5,- / Für Konterlobbyismus 5,- / Mannott 4,- One-time donations: 20,- / Vogelsang 5,- / 20,-
- 2020: Monthly: 5,- / Für Konterlobbyismus 5,- One-time donations: 20,- / 20,- / 5,-
- 2019: Monthly: 5,- One-time donations: Michael D. 20,- / 7,50
Thanks a lot!
| This site lives on engagement and support - Thank you! |
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Miscellaneous
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Freie Messenger supports the open letter (exteral) of „publiccode“ (extern) and is listd as „Nationale NGO“ (non goverment organisation). |
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Freie Messenger is a registered participant of Allianz für Cybersicherheit (external) This is an initiative of the German Federal Office for Information Security (external). |
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Free Messenger has been nominated for the Bundespreis 2024 (external) of the Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz (external). |