Product Alternatives

5 Facebook Messenger Alternatives for Businesses

Facebook Messenger is the number one instant messaging app among users, with 1.3 billion people using it every month–which is more than the number of users for Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram combined. However, recent privacy and data issues have left users looking for viable alternatives. If you, too, are scouting for alternatives to Facebook Messenger, this blog is for you.

We will deep-dive to understand five Facebook Messenger alternatives your business can leverage to get the most out of instant communication without worrying about privacy issues. Let’s get going.

5 Facebook Messenger App Alternatives that Will Do All the Talking for Your Business

1. JustCall

Used by over 6,000 global brands, JustCall is one of the leading cloud-based phone systems that’s built for sales and support teams. In addition to robust calling features, it comes with advanced texting capabilities. You can send bulk SMS, run drip SMS campaigns, leverage SMS for automation, and even attach multimedia files to your texts. With JustCall, you can send and receive texts directly from the CRM you use.

JustCall's AutoDialer

Top Features of JustCall

  • A complete and holistic phone system offering native integrations with 100+ CRM and business tools
  • Advanced texting capabilities, including bulk SMS, SMS bot, and more
  • Easy access to SMS analytics
  • SMS workflows and automation
  • The ability to text directly from CRM
  • The capability to go live in 70+ countries
  • Call queueing and forwarding
  • Conversation intelligence 
  • Team management functionalities
  • Call transfer/call merging/call monitoring
  • Virtual phone numbers

Feedback on JustCall from Real-World Users

JustCall Pros JustCall Cons
Works seamlessly out of the box  There is a bit of a learning curve 
System is flawless with little to no bugs; there are no call quality issues  
100% commitment to make the customer happy and provide great service  
The reporting data is easy to find, understand, and analyze  
The feature, Dynamic Campaign settings allow users to give it to a list of leads–a super helpful feature for the Sales department  

JustCall Pricing Plans

  1. Essentials – $19 per user/month, billed annually
  2. Team – $ 29 per user/month, billed annually
  3. Pro – $ 49 per user/month, billed annually
  4. Business – Available on Request

We’re bringing new JustCall iQ pricing plans with AI capabilities.

justcall-ai-product-pricing 

Why JustCall as an Alternative to Facebook Messenger:

  • JustCall is a clean cloud-based phone system that empowers sales, customer support, and marketing departments with cutting-edge texting capabilities. Facebook Messenger is better for personal use whereas JustCall is more suited for business use.
  • Users can engage in mass texting and call monitoring, which is not possible with Facebook Messenger.
  • It offers customizable templates, thanks to its template management feature–a feature not currently available with Facebook Messenger.

JustCall Best-Suited For:

In essence, JustCall can be used by enterprises of all sizes (small, mid, and large) and is perfect for a business looking to implement an all-in-one customer communication platform. It is better aligned with business needs as opposed to Facebook Messenger.

2. Telegram

Telegram is undoubtedly one of the biggest competitors to Facebook Messenger, with more than 400 million users. Its robust security makes it a better alternative to Facebook Messenger. It is a cloud-based voice chat and messaging service. What makes it unique is that it is supported by free apps that are compatible with all leading devices.

Telegram User Interface for Android and iPhone
Source: Telegram

Top Features of Telegram

  • It offers a “secret” message feature, where the messages are end-to-end encrypted and can self-destruct
  • The non-secret messages are stored on Telegram’s servers, which can easily be picked between your devices.

Feedback on Telegram from Real-World Users

Telegram Pros Telegram Cons
Excellent features and cross-device compatibility The notifications sometimes don’t come through even when it is on
Has a lot of cool features and is helpful in IM and community management Desktop notifications can sometimes be annoying–these notifications flood the screen and block other programs, making it annoying
Easy to use and secure platform  

Telegram Pricing Plans

Telegram is free to use for all platforms, with no advertisements or subscription fees.

Why Telegram as an Alternative to Facebook Messenger:

  • Unlike Facebook Messenger, Telegram offers the ability to build groups that can have up to 200,000 members in a chat.
  • Users are not restricted to any kind of media or chat size.
  • Users can share all kinds of files among themselves and in groups.

Telegram Best-Suited For:

It is ideal for organizations that are looking for performance, speed, and simplicity of use. Individual business users and small teams can benefit from this platform due to incredible features such as flexible installation, file sharing, and contact group options. Plus, its secure approach with two layers of end-to-end encryption for all data makes it a foolproof security-driven solution.

3. Brief

Brief is an all-inclusive Facebook Messenger alternative that offers a host of useful features such as instant chat, video conferencing, task management, file sharing, and team collaboration.

Brief Allows You to Chat With Colleagues Instantly
Source: Brief

Top Features of Brief

  • It allows users to manage tasks, documents, and chats using Kanban boards.
  • Project managers can set assignments for team members and share media files via video conferencing.
  • Managers can stay notified on projects by receiving updates, due-date alerts, and reminders in real-time. Plus, they can track tasks/to-do lists and prioritize them as needed.
  • The group chat tool allows users to send messages, post announcements, and collaborate with external stakeholders using multiple devices.

Feedback on Brief from Real-World Users

Brief Pros Brief Cons
Allows you to talk to colleagues, partners, etc. in an organized and secure way Lack several key features
Offers advanced features (such as task manager tool, video chat, etc.) and robust team collaboration tools Not apt for business purposes
Easy to set up and use; you don’t need to register with an email address or remember a password  
Provides the ability to chat directly in the app and create “Hubs” while working with team members on a project

Brief Pricing Plans

It offers a 7-day free trial for new users with the following pricing models:

  • Basic – $19.90
  • Advanced – $29.90
  • Enterprise – Contact Brief for pricing details.

Why Brief as an Alternative to Facebook Messenger:

  • Marketers can invite unlimited users to join chat groups/projects by sending shareable links.
  • It offers API and Zapier integration so that you can connect with multiple third-party platforms such as MailChimp, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.

Brief Best-Suited For:

It is ideal for organizations looking for a clean and robust messaging app that comes power-packed with advanced business collaboration tools.

4. Viber

Viber is a mobile messaging platform that boasts 300 million users worldwide. It enables businesses to communicate and drive robust promotional campaigns using one-to-one chats, text notifications, or video calls.

Viber
Source: Viber

Top Features of Viber

  • You can make calls and send messages via Wi-Fi or internet connectivity.
  • Marketers can use multiple placement options to run sound advertisement campaigns.
  • You can share images, files, audio, etc. across devices (think: desktops, laptops, smartphones, and so on)

Feedback on Viber from Real-World Users

Viber Pros Viber Cons
Great free tool for driving communication, sharing information, and having a meeting You cannot block calls from unknown users 
User-friendly and economical tool that allows you to connect to people in another country, and send videos as well as files easily Quality of call is dependent on your Wi-Fi or internet quality
Easy to use and set up as you only need a phone number and don’t need any emails or passwords to remember  

Viber Pricing Plans

Viber is available to use free of cost.

Why Viber as an Alternative to Facebook Messenger:

  • Viber offers voice and video calls, which double up as the backbone of the app.
  • Its “Secret Chats” feature is extremely useful as you can delete messages if no one has read them yet. It offers a “self-destruct timer” feature, which allows you to have your messages disappear quickly, thereby boosting security and providing increased privacy.
  • Its “Trusted Contacts” feature also has a winning edge over Facebook Messenger. Basically, you can verify the identity of you who you are chatting with using a secret key exchange. If any change occurs within the user’s contact list, Viber will alert you of the same. This is a small yet significant security feature that provides additional peace of mind to users.
  • It offers the useful “communities” feature, which allows you to join large groups and drive instant and seamless communication.
  • You can also disable your online status and stay hidden if you do not want to engage in any kind of conversation.
  • The “Viber Out” feature enables users to make phone calls to non-Viber numbers and landline phones globally.

Viber Best-Suited For:

Viber’s unique community feature empowers businesses to manage multiple members simultaneously, control privileges, and invite users on the go.

5. Signal

Signal is all about welcoming a different messaging experience with an unexpected focus on privacy. It is a simple, powerful, and secure messenger. This open-source messaging service is available on Android, Windows, iPhone, Mac, and Linux.

Signal
Source: Signal

Top Features of Signal

  • You can send texts, make voice calls, set up team chats, and share images, videos, and documents.
  • It offers state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption (powered by the open-source Signal Protocol), which keeps your conversations secure. 
  • You can leverage a desktop version, which enables you to sync messages between your smartphone and your laptop, similar to Facebook Messenger.

Feedback on Signal from Real-World Users

Signal Pros Signal Cons
An open source and peer-reviewed platform Not a common messaging app in some regions
Funded entirely by grants and donations, making
it a preferable and trusted choice for many users
The payment process is a little convoluted
Doubles up as a scalable and secure encryption tool
for organizations that want to drive a secure communication
You cannot access animated emojis
A lot of thought and care has been put into the security and usability of the app  

Signal Pricing Plans

Signal is available to use entirely free of cost. It is an independent nonprofit that is supported by grants and donations.

Why Signal as an Alternative to Facebook Messenger:

  • Unlike Facebook Messenger, Signal’s backend code is open source and verifiable. This drives a greater sense of transparency and boosts user confidence in the app.

Signal Best-Suited For:

Signal is ideally-suited for businesses who want security as the most important feature when looking for Facebook Messenger alternatives.

So, Which Communication App is Best for Your Business?

To wrap up, selecting the right kind of messaging platform for your business is first about understanding your business needs and use cases. Unknown to many, many of these Facebook Messenger alternatives offer similar features that you might have gotten a great hang of.

All the options stated above are extremely useful Facebook Messenger alternatives you can use. They all provide an additional layer of security and privacy. If you are looking for more advanced business features, options such as JustCall are great communication tools. When making a final decision, remember to account for your team’s needs, your budget, and the additional features required. Keep these pointers in mind, and you’re golden.

Deepan heads Demand Gen at SaaS Labs. A data-driven marketer, Deepan is extremely passionate about enabling early stage SaaS companies & accelerating their growth

How useful was this post?

4.7/5

-

( 7 votes)

Learn from our videos