Best 10 Instant Messaging Platforms [2024]
“Instant messaging platform has opened enormous doors and opportunities for the next era of communication”
With the increasing availability and adoption of the internet and smartphones, internet-based instant messaging platforms have been on the rise.
In 2021, over 107.8 trillion messages were sent via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat combined. (Source: Data Reportal)
What’s so special about these instant messaging platforms? Why are people so excited about it? Let’s explore everything about it, in this article.
Also, I’ve rounded up 10 instant messaging platforms that set the bar for what messaging apps can and should be.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the details.
Table of Contents
What Is An Instant Messaging Platform?
An instant messaging platform is a communication platform that helps two or more users connect with each other in real-time for to and fro conversations.
Key Features Of Instant Messaging Platforms
Online Presence/ User Availability: Instant messaging platforms often incorporate the presence indicator feature, allowing users to check the availability of their contacts in real-time. This feature shows whether a contact is online, away, busy, or offline, making it easier to decide when to initiate a conversation.
Push notifications: Real-time notifications are a great way to drive user attention. With instant updates and alerts on incoming calls/ chats and the missed ones, users will be able to stay in the loop with important conversations.
Images and Emojis: Many instant messaging clients and customer messaging platforms allow users to enhance their messages by inserting images, emojis, stickers, and other multimedia elements. With this feature, users can express themselves more creatively and emotionally in their conversations.
File Transfer: Instant messaging applications enable users to send and receive files, such as documents, images, videos, and audio clips. This simplifies sharing information and media content with others during a chat.
Switching to Other Communication Modes: Instant messaging comes with other communication modes, such as voice and video calls. With these Modes, you can easily switch between texting and voice/video calls whenever you need to, making them a super handy all-in-one communication tool.
These features make messaging apps way more convenient and engaging. You can connect with your friends, family and co-workers in different ways besides just texting.
How Safe Is Instant Messaging?
Instant messaging can have security risks, and it’s important to be cautious:
Privacy: Instant messaging conversations may not always be private or secure. Many IM programs lack encryption, so someone with access to the network could potentially eavesdrop on user conversations.
Sensitive Data: You probably don’t want to send any really private or confidential stuff over regular messaging apps.
Especially if you’re using a computer that has sensitive data on it. It’s better to be safe than sorry – avoid installing messaging apps on devices like that if you can.
File Sharing: When sharing files through messaging apps, be careful – that can sometimes open you up to viruses and other security risks.
Make sure you scan any files for malware before sending or opening them, just to be on the safe side.
If you want to keep your messaging super secure, look for apps that use end-to-end encryption. That way, only you and the person you’re chatting with can read the messages.
Also, be careful about what kind of sensitive information you share over messaging, and make sure you’re using a device you trust.
Best Instant Messaging Platforms For Your Business
Instant messaging is a way to chat with people online in real-time using text, either one-on-one or in group chat rooms, over the internet, or other networks like local area networks (LAN).
Some of the few listed below offer free trials, whereas others are known for their exceptional requirements. Starting our top picks with,
1. Signal
Signal is a popular choice for millions of users worldwide, due to its quick, secure, and free communication services.
Whether it is sending and receiving high-fidelity business instant messages or engaging users on HD video calls, Signal proves to be the best chat platform with its ease of use.
Along with this, Signal also supports advanced privacy features and collaboration capabilities.
Reasons Why Signal Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Strong focus on privacy and end-to-end encryption for secure communication.
- Open-source and transparent, allowing for independent audits and scrutiny.
- Simple and user-friendly interface, suitable for both personal and professional use.
Features:
- Private/group voice & video calls
- Instant messaging
- Group chat
- In-app payments
- Push notifications
Popular Usage Locations: Signal is pretty popular all around the world, but it’s got a huge user base in the US, Europe, and Asia, especially.
Where Is Signal Used?
Signal provides secure communication solutions to various industries, including healthcare, finance, government, and education.
G2 Rating:
2. Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat is becoming a very popular messaging app for businesses, especially those with remote teams. It offers lots of great collaboration features, high-end security, and a smooth user experience.
Rocket.Chat started as a remote company itself, so they understand what features work best for remote teams. To help colleagues easily communicate, they have useful tools like threads, channels, and group chats built-in.
An important thing about Rocket.Chat is that it’s open-source. This means anyone can customize and modify the chat app features to fit their specific needs and preferences.
Initially started as a remote-based firm, they understand what features best suit a remote team. Further to help teams easily connect with other peers, they have prebuilt traits like threads, channels, groups, and more. If you do not know then let us tell you that rocket. chat is an open-source portal and so, anyone can customize chats according to their needs and preferences.
Reasons Why Rocket.Chat Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Highly customizable and scalable platform suitable for large organizations and teams.
- Offers on-premises hosting options for companies with strict data privacy requirements.
- Integrates with various tools and services.
Features:
- Instant messaging
- Audio and video calls
- File sharing
- Video conferencing
- End-to-end encryptions
Popular Usage Locations: Rocket.Chat has users worldwide, with a strong presence in South America, Europe, and Asia.
Where Is Rocket. Chat Used?
Rocket.Chat provides enterprise instant messaging solutions to industries like education, healthcare, government, and finance.
G2 Rating: 
3. MS Teams
Microsoft Teams is a popular team chat app that is widely used around the world. It’s very useful for Microsoft users because they get Teams for free and is a great option for secure communication at workplace.
However, when compared to other chat apps, Teams has limited communication and collaboration tools. This restriction annoys some users, so they look for alternatives to Microsoft Teams that offer more features and urge businesses to build their own apps for team communication.
Reasons Why MS Teams Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Seamless integration with the Microsoft Office 365 suite and other Microsoft products.
- Robust video conferencing and screen-sharing capabilities for remote collaboration.
- Centralized workspace for teams to chat, share files, and manage projects.
Features:
- Screen sharing
- Instant messaging
- Team meetings
- Voice & video calls
- Push notifications
Popular Usage Locations: MS Teams has users worldwide, with a strong presence in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Where Is MS Teams Used?
MS Teams provides collaboration solutions to various industries, including healthcare, education, finance, and government.
G2 Rating: 
4. Slack
Come on, who does not know Slack? Slack is one of the most well-known and popular instant messaging apps. The reason is that it offers great features like dedicated channels and groups for project discussions within a company.
It also has good collaboration tools that make it easy to work together, and a flexible, user-friendly interface.
But the thing is, people are often worried that Slack might not be secure enough when it comes to protecting data.
That’s been a big issue that’s allowed some of Slack’s competitors to get more popular by offering messaging apps that seem safer and more secure.
However, we often notice data security concerns concerning Slack and this main cause has led its peers and competitors to take hold of the market share.
Reasons Why Slack Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Extensive integrations and bots for automating workflows.
- Supports channels for organizing conversations based on topics or teams.
- Offers robust search functionality, making it easy to find historical conversations.
Features
- Instant messaging
- Third-party integrations
- Team collaboration tools
- In-app notifications
- Privacy regulations compatible with HIPAA and GDPR
Popular Usage Locations: Slack has users worldwide, with a strong presence in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Where Is Slack Used?
Slack provides communication and collaboration solutions to various industries, including technology, media, finance, and e-commerce.
G2 Rating: 
5. Glip
Next up is Glip, a messaging app made by RingCentral. Glip is really popular for its awesome chat, group calling, scheduling tools, and screen-sharing features that just look so slick. A lot of businesses say using Glip actually boosts their employees’ productivity, but understanding exactly how takes a bit of digging.
On top of that, Glip lets you integrate it with all sorts of other third-party apps and platforms you might already be using. So if you’re coming from a different messaging tool, you can switch over to Glip pretty seamlessly through those integrations.
Reasons Why Glip (Ring Central) Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Combines instant messaging with task management and project collaboration tools.
- Makes document, image, and file sharing easy.
- Provides calendar integration and video conferencing capabilities.
Features:
- Instant messaging service
- Multi-platform support
- Team collaboration tools
- End-to-end encrypted
Popular Usage Locations: Glip has users worldwide, with a strong presence in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Where Is Glip Used?
Glip provides communication and collaboration solutions to various industries, including healthcare, finance, and technology.
G2 Rating: 
6. Flock
Flock is an instant messaging platform that brings all your users together in one place using its communication and collaboration tools. Its key features help users stay focused on tasks, and support remote teams.
Similar to Glip, Flock also allows third-party app integrations that we use every day. This means users can connect Flock to other apps and tools they already use and like.
Just like Glip, Flock supports third-party integrations aiding users to connect to their desired apps.
Reasons Why Flock Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- User-friendliness with a focus on team collaboration.
- Offers secure communication with end-to-end encryption for sensitive conversations
- Lets you integrate third-party productivity tools and cloud storage services.
Features:
- Instant messaging service
- Multi-platform support
- Team collaboration tools
- End-to-end encrypted
Popular Usage Locations: Flock has users worldwide, with a strong presence in India, the United States, and Europe.
Where Is Flock Used?
Flock provides communication and collaboration solutions to various industries, including healthcare, finance, and technology.
G2 Rating: 
Recommended Reading
Most Promising Instant Messaging Platforms Loved By Customers
Did you know that many businesses are drawn toward instant messaging software from customer-oriented apps? And, the ones we have listed below are all the leading platforms with multiple accounts in each category.
7. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the world’s most popular social messaging app, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It is the best instant messaging platform that can be used in day-to-day life.
WhatsApp is widely preferred by users for its ease of use and interactive features. People can chat with each other from anywhere in the world and also make face-to-face video calls, in just few clicks.
Above all, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, claims that every conversation on the app is secure since the chats are end-to-end encrypted.
From popularizing unique encryption standards to adding extra features to making it a user-friendly tool, WhatsApp developers found it mountain-challenging for creating the best-known personal and professional messaging platforms.
Reasons Why WhatsApp Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Simple and user-friendly interface for personal and group communication.
- Offers end-to-end encryption for secure messaging.
- Supports crystal-clear voice calling features and HD video calls, as well as sharing of multimedia content.
Features:
- Instant messaging service
- Broadcast messaging
- Whatsapp status
- Business catalog
- Audio & video calls
Popular Usage Locations: WhatsApp has users worldwide, with a strong presence in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Where Is WhatsApp Used? :
WhatsApp provides communication solutions to various industries, including finance, e-commerce, gaming, transportation, logistics, and healthcare.
G2 Rating: 
8. WeChat
WeChat is a popular chat platform in China and this app is named as China’s Super App.
You know why?
Apart from the collaboration and communication features, WeChat also offers video game facilities to users.
Reasons Why WeChat Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- WeChat, as a Super App is considered as the primary option to make secure transactions across China.
- Popular messaging app with a large user base in China.
- Provides many features, such as mini-programs and mobile payments, in addition to messaging.
- Supports video calls, voice messages, and sharing of multimedia content.
Features:
- Instant messaging service
- Push notifications
- Private or group voice & video calls
- File sharing
- AES-128 security standards
Popular Usage Locations: WeChat has users primarily in China and Southeast Asia.
Where Is WeChat Used? :
WeChat provides communication and e-commerce solutions to various industries, including finance, education, and healthcare.
G2 Rating: N/A
9. Telegram
Considered as a user-friendly real-time messaging platform, Telegram is a solution that offers seamless communication and security features to users with its modern chat app design.
People all over the world are using this chat platform a lot. You can have one-on-one chats, group calls with many people, and even share your screen. It has become a really useful tool for different kinds of communication.This app is considered the best and most secure messaging software. It’s very popular and widely used in countries all over the world.
Plus, standing top on our list as the best and most secure software, this particular app is said to be prevalent in any country and region.
Reasons Why Telegram Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Allows media sharing in compressed formats ensuring that the quality of images, videos and files exchanged is intact.
- Offers secure and encrypted communication with a strong emphasis on privacy.
- Supports large group chats and channels for broadcasting messages.
- Provides a wide range of features, including file sharing, stickers, and bots.
Features:
- Private and group Instant messaging
- Push notifications
- Auto-translation services
- File sharing
- Voice & video calls
Popular Usage Locations: Telegram has users worldwide, with a strong presence in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Where Is Telegram Used? :
Telegram provides communication solutions to various industries, including media, finance, and e-commerce.
G2 Rating: N/A
10. Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is a very popular app. It lets you instantly message people, create groups for work or personal reasons, and make calls.
Facebook created Messenger, so it’s like the parent product. Messenger has over a billion users worldwide who use the Facebook app and service.
Reasons Why FB Messenger Is A Good Choice For Instant Messaging:
- Extensive user base, making it convenient for connecting with friends and family.
- Offers features like video calls, stickers, and games for casual communication.
- Integrates with Facebook’s social network, allowing for easy sharing of content.
Features:
- Buyer seller chat
- Instant messaging
- Feeds and stories promotions
- In-app payments
- Live Video calls for face to face conversations
Popular Usage Locations: Facebook Messenger has users worldwide, with a strong presence in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Where Is Facebook Messenger Used?
Facebook Messenger provides communication and customer service solutions to various industries, including e-commerce/ marketplaces, finance, and healthcare.
G2 Rating: N/A
What Are The Benefits Of Instant Messaging Platforms?
The prime benefit of any instant messaging app is its ability to help people communicate with each other in real-time.
Additionally, IM tools ease the process of file sharing, mentions, status sharing, status settings, and other capabilities.
These features that are described above can be used for both business and casual purposes. However, to dig deeper into why the IM platform is beneficial for business communication, here’s a breakdown:
- Boosting Team Collaboration
As per a recent percentile, it is proven that over 86% of employees and executives lack collaboration capacity, thus leading to workplace failures.
Thus, many organizations must realize that collaboration is the prime aspect of any team’s success, be it productivity or meeting deadlines.
- Fostering Productivity
If your employees are given an instant messaging tool or platform to help communicate and collaborate on the topics they face difficulty with, then ultimately their productivity rises by shortening the period in each project.
A report shows that over 25% of organizations succeed in productivity rates whose employees are well connected.
- Improving Employee Engagement
If employees can connect with each other well in discussing their work parameters and strategies, then it results in improved employee engagement.
Further, the availability of bots on instant messaging platforms can help employees pose and get answers to different questions, making them engaged with the platform.
- Eases Remote Working
Asynchronous real-time communication helps coworkers connect and collaborate with ease via instant messaging apps.
These apps can render flexibility in team communication even when they reside in different time zones and locations.
- Strengthens Company Grounds
Employees who love the quality of their work seem to be a lot more attached. Plus, you can even bring it to your business by adding instant messaging platforms and creating channels for employees to connect on both business and professional grounds.
This small step can help your employee’s retention levels in the organization.
- Highly-liked by Gen Z Groups
Gone are the days when managers used to call employees to discuss project matters because, with the multiple features and benefits that the instant messaging platform offers, many new millennials and gen Z groups are more attracted to tools that boost collaboration and communication in good ways.
A recent survey shows that over 75% of employees love to exchange instant messages rather than get engaged in calls.
Drawbacks Of Third-party Instant Messaging Platforms For Businesses
Although instant messaging platforms have been very useful for personal conversations, there are some key downsides to relying too heavily on chat apps at work.
- Sending sensitive data over untrusted mobile messaging apps can lead to data leaks and breaches of confidentiality.
- Lack of proper security evaluations and compliance checks before deploying office messaging tools exposes companies to data security and regulatory risks.
- Where messaging data is stored (server location) is crucial – organizations must ensure servers meet data confidentiality standards.
- Password authentication alone is vulnerable – combining user and device authentication provides better access security.
- Mixing business and casual chats on messaging apps can violate record-keeping rules and blur lines between work and personal communications.
Now, what should you do if you need instant messaging for your business?
There are 2 solutions to this:
- You can build your own app from scratch
- You can use a custom solution that offers pre-built tools to build your messaging app with the functionalities and capabilities you need.
We know, the latter sounds interesting. And now you may wonder how to build your app with a pre-built solution. This is where real-time communication SDKs come into play.
If you’d like to build a chat app all by yourself, you can simply get a chat solution, customize the features, and deploy it on your own servers.
Doesn’t that sound like a perfect deal?
Here are more details.
Build An Instant Messaging Platform With MirrorFly’s Custom Chat Solution
With MirrorFly’s chat SDKs, building an instant messaging app with the features you wish to include and customize is really simple.
So here are a glimpse of features you can have in your instant messaging platform, when building your app with MirrorFly.
- Video, Voice & Chat
- Topic-based chat
- Upload huge files
- Profanity filter
- SIP/ VoIP Call
- Chatbots
- Chat-GPT powered Docs
- Chatbot
- Chat tags
- Chat history
- Schedule calendar
- Sync calendar
- Contact center services and 1000+ real-time communication features.
Plus, you’ve got more!
1. Whitelabel chat solution to rebrand our APIs as you wish to
2. 100% customizable features and complete ownership at a one-time license fee
3. Hire a dedicated team & experience comprehensive assistance to build an entire instant messaging platform.
See, MirrorFly can be of great help in building custom apps for your businesses.
In case you agree with us and wish to travel along, contact us to request for a quick demo for a detailed analysis.
Get Started with MirrorFly’s Instant Chat Features Today!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Instant messaging platforms are used to facilitate real-time communications among users over the internet. Enterprises, professionals, and consumers see Instant messaging as a faster and more reliable way of communicating than email. Users can facilitate instant messaging from any device with the right platform.
Yes,Here are 5 popular instant messaging apps: 1. WhatsApp 2. Telegram 3. Signal 4. Messenger 5. WeChat
WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging service globally, with more than 2 billion active users. It provided instant messaging services with enriched features and facilitated real-time communication with voice and video features. WeChat has grabbed second place with 1.2 billion active users, and Facebook Messenger has grabbed third place with 990 million active users.
There are two types of instant messaging software. Application-based software Web-based software. Application-based software requires you to download and install software on your device, Such as WhatsApp, Viber, Line, etc. Web-based Software requires you to sign in directly to the web, such as Google Chat, Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Instant messaging software is end-to-end encrypted. But it is recommended not to use your system, mobile, or email ID password to log in, considering your own safety. And never share any sensitive credentials, such as credit card details, OTPs, or bank-related sensible content. As instant messaging software is end-to-end encrypted, you will never know to whom it is being forwarded.
Yes, Instant messaging is private. Every message you send or receive is end-to-end encrypted, which simply means that only the sender and receiver can see the messages. Hence, instant messaging is completely private.
Instant messaging has reached enormous heights over the years, with yet more to come in the future. The future of instant messaging facilitates voice and video calls, high-quality pictures, and artificial intelligence features like image editing, automated replies, face swapping, etc.
Related Articles:
- 10 Best Self-Hosted Chat Platforms Reviews To Try In 2024
- Top 10 Business Instant Messaging Software in 2024
- How does a chat solution help IT projects?
- How To Build a Real-Time Chat App for iOS and Android?
hi,
Nice article, How can I choose the instant messaging apps for my personal use, can you recommend anything?
Hi Shelpa,
Evaluate instant messaging apps based on factors like security, user interface, and features. Consider the preferences of your contacts and the app’s popularity. Popular choices include WhatsApp for widespread use, Signal for privacy, and Telegram for features and mirrorfly for custmoizable solution, roackt.chat for real-time fetures. Try a couple to find the best fit for your personal communication needs.
hello,
if it possible! Can you recommend an instant messaging software with excellent team collaboration features? So that I can choose the perfect one.
Hi Rein,
Certainly! Microsoft Teams is a robust instant messaging software with excellent team collaboration features. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, offering chat, file sharing, video conferencing, and collaboration on documents. Slack is another popular choice known for its intuitive interface, extensive integrations, and efficient team communication tools, making it a strong recommendation for team collaboration.
Hi,
I just acrossed your blog, it was quite nice. can you clear me that which instant messaging platform is best for large group chats and communities?
Hello Niranjana,
For large group chats and communities, MirrorFly stands out as an excellent choice. It offers powerful moderation tools, customizable, secure and features channels for broadcasting to unlimited audiences. Its scalability, along with diverse features, makes MirrorFly a top recommendation for managing extensive group communication and communities.
Your article gave me a lot of inspiration, I hope you can explain your point of view in more detail, because I have some doubts, thank you.
Sure Gevin, will be done it
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