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Consider Jami - https://jami.net/ too - you don't even need to share your phone number or email id to use it.

And it has support for nearly all desktop and mobile platforms (with all the features we expect from a messaging client, and more - it is also a SIP client). It is fully open source, and all data is stored on your device.

Signal may be run by a non-profit, but it a non-profit based in the United States. In the US, a non-profit can also be converted into a for-profit business.



I've played with Jami several times because it sounds good on paper but it just flat out failed to work a lot of the time. Messages sent but never received, no indication of why or what was going on. For my uses anyway, IM needs to be above all reliable - when I send a message I need to know the recipient will get it (and in a timely manner, modulo their availability).

Most of my network is on Telegram at my urging because it was the best option at the time, but I'm constantly looking for something better to replace it (as I'm aware of the downsides to Telegram). Currently I'm trialing Element with one of my contacts and I'd say it might be ready if I can get past the initial setup headaches, but Telegram just works so darn well and is so amazingly fast that it will be very hard to get buy-in for people to switch. Most people are overloaded with IM apps already, adding another one is tough unless it can completely replace and deprecate one they're already using. Jami definitely is not that IMO.


Thanks for the recommendation, this is exactly what I have been looking for over the past week.


i have tried Jami before and was very disappointed by the bad UX.

People use Telegram, because it has a fantastic UX and UI.

If you want people to even considering switching from WhatsApp, then the alternative must be 120% polished.




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