Viber

Rakuten's free encrypted messenger with group chats, communities and paid calls to regular phones.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Viber

Viber is a free messaging and calling app owned by Japan's Rakuten, popular in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. It covers one-to-one and group chats, voice and video calls, stickers and GIFs, disappearing messages and large public Communities and Channels. One-to-one and group chats are end-to-end encrypted by default. Its distinctive feature is Viber Out, a paid credit or subscription service for calling landlines and mobile numbers that aren't on Viber, which makes it handy for cheap international calls. The desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux are proper standalone apps that stay in sync with your phone, rather than a mirror. Viber earns money from ads, stickers, Viber Out and business messaging, so expect some promotional content in the app. Sign-up requires a phone number. It is a solid choice where your contacts already use it, but elsewhere you may find few friends on it.

Best for: People in Viber-heavy regions and anyone who makes cheap international calls to regular phones.

What works

Chats encrypted by default, including groups
Full desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux
Viber Out calls landlines and non-users cheaply

Why people leave

Ads and promoted content inside the app
Small user base outside its core regions
Requires a phone number

Top Viber alternatives

See all 5

1
WhatsApp
Larger network in most countries, with the same encrypted chats and calls.
66.5
2
Telegram
Bigger public communities and channels, with cloud sync on every device.
62.6
3
Signal
Encrypted by default without ads or promoted content.
59.6
4
LINE
A similar sticker-rich messenger with services built in, dominant in Japan and Thailand.
57.2
5Im
imo
Another lightweight free calling app popular for international calls on slow connections.
55.3

Why people left Viber

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Viber, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Viber

Your rating of Viber

Name

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

Title

Your review

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

Did you switch from another app?

Why did you leave it?

How can we verify you use it? (optional)

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

I received money, credit or a gift for writing this review. (Incentivized reviews are shown but don't count toward rankings.)

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

Viber: common questions

Is Viber free?

Viber has a free plan and paid plans.

Is Viber open source?

No, Viber is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Signal.

What platforms does Viber run on?

Viber is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Viber?

The highest-ranked Viber alternatives right now are WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Viber alternatives

Viber facts

4 of 4 verified

End-to-end encryption: Yes, by default; Checked Oct 25, 2026viber.com(opens source in a new tab); “We use end-to-end encryption by default, so no need to go out of your way to turn it on.”
Disappearing messages: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026viber.com(opens source in a new tab); “Disappearing Messages Set a self-destruct timer for every message in your chat”
Device sync: Mobile and desktop; Checked Oct 25, 2026viber.com(opens source in a new tab); “Create your own On mobile & desktop Chats are 100% synced between devices”
Price: Free messaging and calls; Checked Oct 25, 2026viber.com(opens source in a new tab); “Free and secure calls and messages to anyone, anywhere Keep your conversations going no matter where you are.”