15 Best Messaging Apps Like Kik (Alternatives) to Chat With Friends

Kik Messaging app is a free and popular instant messaging application that has many more features than simply chatting and messaging.

It currently has millions of downloads on Google PlayStore and has a decent 4.0 rating from about 2.5 million reviews.

Just like any other social network messaging application, you can send text, pictures, video messages, and a lot of other fun ways to communicate with friends and family.

What’s different about it is that it doesn’t require a phone number (just pick a username) which makes it an appealing choice in terms of anonymity.

What’s more, is that Kik promises secure and untraceable communication which is valuable for people who want more privacy. You can even find new friends with similar interests through the app.

Aside from increased privacy, you also have the option to do anonymous chats, group chats of up to 49 people, and what they call promoted chats which allows users to follow and then message different brands on different industries.

They also have special protection policies for minors regarding using the app.

But of course, not all applications are perfect and even these privacy features can serve as a double edge sword. This could be one reason why some people are switching to other instant messaging applications.

Kik has an internal dating-style feature and sometimes that could pose dangers or expose users into unwanted or indecent content.

This extra anonymity may pave the way for cyber-bullying or any malicious users to take advantage of the situation or even harm other users, especially children. The exchange of private information may prove to be dangerous and have some serious consequences.

Although rumors had it that Kik was closing in 2019, the company announced that this will not happen and are still operating.

However, many people have already started looking for alternative apps to Kik. If you are one of them, we’ll help you in this article find similar apps like Kik, so let’s get started.

Make sure to read till the end of the article because we are also listing some apps that don’t require a phone number, just like Kik.

(The ranking of the apps below is in no particular order):

1) Viber

Who doesn’t recognize what Viber is nor is familiar with its messaging sounds? Not a lot of people I suppose. That is because Viber is quite popular and for you to know how popular it is exactly, Viber is pre-installed in a lot of Android Smartphones.

Viber is one of the most convenient and the ultimate instant messaging application out there. Of course, it is free to download and is quite versatile in terms of its user base. It is hip enough for the youngsters and at the same time appropriate enough even for businesses to utilize.

There are a lot of organizations like a basketball team, or maybe brands or artists that use Viber as their primary means of communication internally as well as with people publicly. You’ll have the usual text, picture, and video messaging but perhaps Viber is quite famous in terms of free phone calls.

You can create large group chats of up to 200 people and their stickers are quite popular. There are also cool and fun Viber games that you can play to past the time (or get addicted to). Viber has over 100 million users and was recently acquired by the Japanese company Rakuten for $900 million. 

2) WhatsApp

Whatsapp is one of the undisputed top instant messaging applications in the world. It’s got over a billion users worldwide, and unsurprisingly enough is owned by Facebook.

Whatsapp’s features include being able to start conversations or group calls with up to 8 people, share your location or broadcast your status to your contacts, and send and receive messages using your computer.

You will also have the capability to customize your wallpaper, notification alerts, simultaneously broadcast messages to multiple people, and the app saves your messages you won’t miss any of them even if your phone was turned off.

Whatsapp is also big on privacy. It has several advanced security features to protect its users. Maybe that’s why it’s attracting so many people.

One major feature is the end-to-end encryption which makes sure only you and your recipient can read your messages even Whatsapp themselves.

It won’t store any of your information and only approved people or contacts can communicate with you. The app also employs two-factor authentication to make sure no one can just access your account and has a good way to block unwanted contacts.

It’s stylish, it is easy and straightforward to use, so no matter where you are, it will be a good choice. 

3) Line

A little bit of background about Line messenger: This app was developed in the wake of the disastrous Japan tsunami way back in 2011. All normal communication channels were cut off or unreliable during that time and so an Internet company called Naver created Line.

To date, Line messenger is quite popular in Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and of course in Japan. It’s got 220 million active users monthly proving the surge of its popularity. If you’re asking why or how? Then it’s most likely because of its all-around functionality.

Line as a messaging app works similar to FB messenger or Whatsapp. You can communicate with your friends using those fun and wacky stickers and emojis, and at the same time play games on it.

But perhaps it is preferred because through Line you can browse the news, or use it to book taxis, to find voucher discounts, stream music, and even make mobile payments.

It’s convenient, it’s a one-stop messaging app, and it’s perfect for people with a busy lifestyle. 

4) Facebook Messenger

On to another popular messaging app, this is surely another great alternative for Kik. Has been since integrated on the Facebook platform (replacing its old messaging system), it’s no surprise how this messaging app surged in popularity upon its launch and never looked back.

If you’re looking for a no-hassle, no complexity instant messaging application then this is it. Simple to use, has fun stickers, emojis and games, and all functionalities you need as a means of communication.

Great for video calls, group chats, and you’ll have options to either mute or block contacts as needed. Its latest feature even allows you to send money through the app.

It’s convenient to use and the application keeps on finding ways to make communication not just easy but messages and intentions to be sent to your recipient(s) clearly. 

5) WeChat

Ever heard of WeChat? Well, it’s only China’s biggest and most popular messaging application. And just like the movies, if it’s big in China it’s big all across the world.

WeChat has about a billion users just behind Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.

Like Line, WeChat offers more to its loyal users than just your normal chat or video calls. It allows people to make payments through its platform, and even book hotels and flights.

Another great feature of WeChat is having mini-programs which are essentially apps within the WeChat app.

However, have in mind that WeChat is under the survailance of Chinese government so there is not much privacy here (unless ofcourse you have nothing to hide so you couldn’t care less about privacy right !!).

6) KaKaoTalk

KakaoTalk is South Korea’s entry on the instant messaging fray. It was launched way back in 2010 and if I remember correctly it’s got cute and fun advertisements that immediately got people’s attention.

KakaoTalk has traffic of 55 billion messages per day. It’s not just a convenient way to chat and call your contacts but the app has made itself into a great avenue of linking yourself up to your friends or making new ones.

It’s got a shake and QR code option to communicate when your friends are nearby and to create group chats rather easily. Still, KakaoTalk had me with the cute commercials. 

7) Signal

Signal boasts to be the most secure messaging app. How or why? It is being powered by the open-source and secure “Signal Protocol” which is indeed one of the most secure ways to communicate in this digital world.

It was made by Moxie Marlinspike (a cryprographer developer) and Brian Acton WhatsApp co-founder himself.

It uses end-to-end encryption and they don’t store your data so no one, not even the government can ask for any information about you or your messages.

And its open-source nature means that it checks out in terms of its security protocols because software engineers can access its code and prove it.

Don’t worry, it’s still got all that fun stickers and or emojis. 

8) Telegram Messenger

From one secure app to another the Telegram Messenger is also one neat and highly-secure way to communicate with people.

Its best features other than its end-to-end encryption, is its cloud-based nature, meaning you will be able to access your messages in other devices even on your computer.

This very nature of its programming will give you the cool option to choose to delete your messages on the servers and delete it on the other party’s end as well.

Telegram also has a cool hidden chat option for more private conversations and a message self-destruct option with designated timer.

It’s got no limits in terms of media or messages and it’s perfect for more professional conversations. You can even create groups for coordination of up to 200,000 members.

9) GroupMe

GroupMe is a messaging application owned by Microsoft and published by Skype (which is also owned by Microsoft).

It is popular amongst students for it has a convenient and fun way to create small groups and allows for scheduling of activities on a calendar feature.

This in turn would allow users to invite people, create polls, and send photos as well as videos.

You can use it on your phone or on your computers whichever is more convenient. It also works over SMS. 

10) TwinMe

TwinMe is another instant messaging app with a tagline that says to “Own your life online”. Right away what comes to mind is privacy, yep this application is secure but they do things a little differently.

They have a simple and effective way for you to communicate to everyone, and that includes strangers but at the same time, you are given the option to block contacts who don’t want anything to do with.

It’s free and the peer to peer system makes sure that no server goes in between you and your recipient.

The messages stay on both the devices involved. Enjoy HD audio and video calls with the utmost freedom and privacy.

Just like Kik, TwinMe does not use or require a phone number or email address to use the app. Therefore, this app can be a true alternative to Kik in terms of privacy etc.

They also claim that “no unsolicited call, no harassment, no spam are possible with twinme” when you block a person that you don’t want to communicate anymore. 

11) KingsChat

KingsChat looks to be the newbie on the block, but it’s not, it’s been around, has about a million downloads on Google PlayStore, and based on reviews is kind of an underrated application.

But it doesn’t really offer anything new or innovative on the table though. Simple chat messaging, HD video, images, emojis, and location sharing is assured with the app.

For now, the developers need to think out of the box and release a cool update on the next few releases to make it stand out. However, it still has all the important features of a communication app and much more.

The developers are also very responsive (even to comments on the app stores) which means they care a lot about their app. 

12) MeWe

MeWe is like Viber but smaller in terms of everything. It has the usual chat and video communication capabilities and at the same time, it can be a platform for open chat groups where stars, artists, and celebrities can reach out to their fan base.

It boasts a no political agenda, privacy by design platform, and you can safely share your stuff on it.

It has a cool MyCloud feature that lets you organize your content on it. And a patented enhanced permission control sounds promising.

Well, the app sounds promising, so better watch out for it  especially for its trusted operating model and privacy features. 

13) Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts obviously is integrated into the Google platform. So you can imagine that any Google related apps or functionality augments this messaging app’s capabilities. And that being said, Google Hangout is perfect for the enterprise setting.

With all the tools at your disposal, you can easily manage any work-related tasks through it with instant and constant communication with co-workers either through chat or video calls/conferences.

You also have the cool and convenient option to broadcast video calls live on Youtube which they call Google Hangouts on Air. This is pretty useful when conducting seminars or even talk shows.

With Hangouts you don’t need to use a Phone number, just your Gmail account will be enough to communicate. 

14) Discord

If you’re a gamer, then you should be quite familiar with Discord. Online games have been around for a long time now and there has always been a problem of communicating, especially within a fan base, or even just simply waiting to organize a group for an upcoming session.

Discord has about 250 million users to date and is a great way to chat and talk to your playmates while in-game. It’s got a cool interface and is hip to kids and kids at heart.

Although it is used mostly by gamers, a lot of developers and engineers of open-source projects started using it to communicate and collaborate on their projects. 

15) Riot.im

Riot.im is a messaging app that’s built upon the Matrix protocol which is an open and decentralized network for secure communications.

It is lightweight and supports end-to-end encryption, as you now know meant for secure communication.

Riot.im prides itself to be meant for modern communication. It gives you options to easily organize rooms for whatever team or community. Chat, file sharing, voice, or video calls are guaranteed and even conferences.

It’s not popular but it’s got a loyal fan base.