5 Reasons Your Business Needs a WhatsApp Alternative and the Best Choice for 2022

68% of your employees would use an internal communications app if it worked correctly. They would not use WhatsApp, Messenger, or social media if other messaging apps built for business were available.

WhatsApp is a popular messaging app, but it simply does not work properly for business use. Its claims of end-to-end encryption and security are over-hyped and false.

Let us explain in more depth why WhatsApp is not an acceptable messaging app for your business.

Why Do You Need A WhatsApp Alternative?

Security, teamwork, and regulatory compliance are the three biggest reasons you need a better messaging app. When your employees use consumer-grade messaging apps, they create vulnerabilities.

  • Personal data becomes available to everyone connected to the user through the contact upload feature. This feature is optional, but many people select it without understanding how it exposes other users’ data.
  • The messaging service is not secure and not controlled by your company. Therefore, you cannot exercise your due diligence to ensure privacy.
  • Employees can expose sensitive company data when they use the file sharing feature. Company files leave your information ecosystem and become unmanageable.

Unlike WhatsApp, a secure enterprise-grade messaging app will correct these deficiencies.

There are even more reasons to look for WhatsApp alternatives. Here are the top five.

Over Half of Your Employees are Already Using an Unapproved Messaging App for Business

A Speakap Study Reveals 53 Percent of Global Frontline Workers Use Messaging Apps Up to Six Times Daily, While 16 Percent Said HR Departments Are Unaware of Such Usage.

Did you catch the two crucial things about those statistics?

  1. Your employees are already using social media and instant messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger. These apps conveniently help many users send messages, make voice and video calls, and support media sharing. Your employees are telling you they want a messaging service.
  2. What they are not telling you is how and when they are using a separate app for group chats, screen sharing, video calling, voice calls, and file sharing. You simply do not know the scale of the risk your business faces.

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other WhatsApp alternatives are not bad. They are just not sufficient for businesses to use.

WhatsApp Users are Being Targeted by Malware Creators

Despite “end-to-end encryption” and security claims, malware creators repeatedly target WhatsApp.

Here is a quote from bleepingcomputer.com, a trusted source for news related to cybersecurity:

“WhatsApp malware dubbed WhatsApp Pink has now been updated with advanced capabilities that let this counterfeit Android app automatically respond to your Signal, Telegram, Viber, and Skype messages.”

Scammers, hackers, and criminals target WhatsApp because users share so much information. The “end-to-end encrypted” label creates a false sense of security and leads to lower cyber hygiene.

The result is a security breach.

WhatsApp Violates GDPR Rules and Shares User Data Automatically

We mentioned this already, but let us focus on GDPR for a moment. A crucial part of the GDPR legislation is the requirement to avoid sharing personal information to other users without their permission.

Any healthcare company using a medical messaging app must comply with GDPR regulations in the EU and/or HIPAA rules in the USA.

WhatsApp offers this as an easy option. The contact upload feature exports user information to sync contacts between the WhatsApp user and any of their contacts already using WhatsApp.

Other apps offer a similar feature, but it is against the rules according to GDPR.

Employees Don’t Want to Use WhatsApp for Business Reasons

Your employees do not want to connect their personal accounts to their work. They want to leave the video calls, voice calls, group chats, and text messages at work while they relax during the weekend.

A popular article on Medium lists 21 reasons why people hate using WhatsApp for work. One of those reasons is such an app does not promote a healthy work/life balance. WhatsApp users never get a break from the notifications, even when they are not working.

Here are more of the reasons people supplied. They do not want to use WhatsApp for work:

  • Because you meant to send a private message
  • Because you sent that saucy picture to the wrong group
  • Because it makes you fear the notifications
  • Because it’s easy to post messages to the wrong group

Your business should find a WhatsApp alternative for the sake of your employees. This shows respect for their time, privacy, and boundaries.

Using WhatsApp for Business Purposes Violates Their Terms of Use

The final reason to find a WhatsApp alternative is using WhatsApp for non-personal reasons violates the WhatsApp Terms of Service.

Here is the relevant section from the WhatsApp Terms of Service:

“You will not use (or assist others in using) our Services in ways that…  involve any non-personal use of our Services unless otherwise authorized by us.”

This clause removes any liability from WhatsApp for a data breach when people use it for non-personal reasons.

So, WhatsApp is not a good idea for your business enterprise messaging app. Which WhatsApp alternative should you consider?

Some WhatsApp Alternatives are Insufficient

We have compiled a list of the top four WhatsApp alternative apps for all your messaging needs. These alternatives to WhatsApp have some outstanding features.

Ultimately, though, none of them are quite strong enough for your business.

1. Signal

Signal focuses heavily on security. This makes it a good WhatsApp alternative for individuals trying to connect with their colleagues. It supports voice and video, users can create group chats, send messages, and send and receive video messages.

Signal users are few, though. The user base is just over 50 million, which is not a large number in this context.

However, Signal is still a consumer messaging app. It might be the best WhatsApp alternative for individuals, but it lacks support for necessary business features, such as:

  • User authentication and permission setting
  • Message sharing and archiving for GDPR
  • Admin and management tools such as broadcasts

Signal, while a strong choice, still falls short of what your business needs.

2. Telegram

Telegram is the largest of these WhatsApp alternatives with over 500 million users. It offers voice chat,  works on multiple platforms, and features a desktop client. It is one of the strongest alternatives to WhatsApp on the market.

Telegram does not quite get the job done, though. Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram does not support group video calls. Its end-to-end encryption is not enabled by default, which could create a security loophole for the unwary.

Telegram works on multiple devices and all the major platforms, but still does not do enough. Key features such as user management, GDPR compliance, and business control of information are lacking.

3. Wire

The Wire messenger app is a step up from Telegram and Signal in terms of security. Its open source platform features end-to-end encryption, forward secrecy, and public audits.

Wire supports group chats, video calling, and other cool features such as a guest room feature for inviting partners, customers, and suppliers to group calls.

Wire is the first app on this list built for business use. This open source app comes in at a few different price points. The limitations of the Wire Pro account are its installation in the public cloud, no integrations with other apps, and lack of compliance documentation exports.

4. Wickr

Wickr is a secure enterprise messaging app that was acquired by Amazon in 2021. Wickr protects your data and offers multiple levels of service. It is one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp for businesses to consider.

However, it is also a very expensive option.

Wickr features end-to-end encryption, which is an industry standard. It also supports group chat, self-destructing messages, text messages, audio calls, and users can share files freely.

It is a paid app, and an expensive one. On-premises installation for maximum security will cost $30.50 per user, per month. So a small business with 30 employees would pay over $900 per month just to use the chat services.

A free version is available, but its services are more limited.

Affordable Security: Why None of These WhatsApp Alternatives Are Acceptable for Business

All the apps listed above fall short because they are not secure enough for business use or they are too expensive for many businesses to afford.

What you need is a secure enterprise messaging app for your business that features the protection you need at a price you can afford.

Messagenius is the Secure Messaging App for Business

We may be biased, but we think Messagenius is exactly what your business needs. Messagenius won the Sogei award for cybersecurity and innovation as a messaging app.

End-to-End Encryption Adds Security for Everyone

End-to-end encryption is an industry standard and a requirement for secure communications. We protect all your data where it is being stored as well as while it is being used for sending messages. Messagenius increases your security by offering on-premises installation.

Instant Messaging, Team Chats, Video Calls, and More Team Collaboration Features

Every feature you need from an instant messaging app for business is ready with Messagenius. You can use Messagenius for voice and video calls, team admin communications, and group chats. These features all work together to give your team a big productivity boost.

Black Hole and Black Box Chat Features for Extra Security

Ephemeral messages are a trend. Text messages that disappear after the recipient reads them are an increased security feature. Messagenius supports two forms of extra secure chats:

  • Black Hole chats disappear after a specific amount of time. The data is not saved and cannot be recovered.
  • Black Box chats are useful for data compliance because the information is fully tracked and indelible.

These chat features help your business achieve total security and compliance whatever form your communications take.

Contact Messagenius for a Free Consultation

Our expert team can chat with you to understand your business enterprise messaging needs. We offer customised packages for every client. Special software integrations, multiple installation options, and connection to your enterprise database make setup and onboarding seamless.

Contact us today to get started.