We love the Kik Messenger app because of all its many features and the millions of different people from around the world that we can chat with at any given time. As much as we love Kik Messenger, from time to time we also like to use other instant messaging apps.
In this article we will discuss the 10 best apps like Kik Messenger. Believe it or not, some people prefer to use different apps. Most instant messaging apps share the same or very similar features. In this article we will give you some of the highlights that set each of the instant messaging apps apart.
“Mobile messaging is rapidly becoming the primary way users engage socially on mobile.”- Keith Teare
When it comes to instant messaging apps, competition is fierce. So fierce, in fact, that several such apps have failed and been discontinued throughout the years. The apps will talk about in this article have all been around from many years already. They all have millions of users around the world so you can pretty sure that they are not going to be discontinued any time soon.
We have decided not to go into all the different features Kik Messenger offers its users because we have written about them elsewhere. Instead, we will just focus on what makes those other instant messaging apps special:
WhatsApp is hugely popular among millions of people around the world. Probably a big part of the success of WhatsApp is how easy it is to use. WhatsApp has an incredibly user-friendly design. This makes WhatsApp popular not just among younger people but also among considerably older people that would not consider using the Kik Messenger app or many of the other instant messaging apps reviewed in this article.
The main drawback that WhatsApp has (and it is a major one for many potential users) is that users need to give each other their phone number before they can use WhatsApp.
So, if that is the case and users still need to use their phone numbers, then what is the difference between using SMS or WhatsApp? There are two main differences actually:
- WhatsApp allows its users to have access to a lot of other different features that they would not have access to if they just used SMS.
- The second main difference is cost. Some networks charge for SMS but using WhatsApp is a way to avoid those charges as long as you always use a Wi Fi network or stay within your agreed data plan.
If you were looking for the instant messaging app that most closely resembles the Kik Messenger app, we would say you do not need to look any further than WeChat. Despite the fact that WeChat is so similar to Kik Messenger is not remotely as well known. Or, at least, is not as well known in the United States or the rest of the Western world. This is because WeChat is hugely popular in China but nowhere else. This does not mean, of course, that people outside China could not use this instant messaging app. So, if you are looking for an alternative to the Kik Messenger app, you should definitely consider WeChat.
As you can imagine from our description, most features on WeChat are the same or incredibly similar to what you can expect to find on Kik Messenger. There are two extra features that set WeChat apart from Kik Messenger:
- Shake: if you wanted to connect with random new people, all you would need to do is to give your smart phone a shake while you are using WeChat.
- Friend radar: this feature allows WeChat users to find people on their local area.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is, believe it or not, a rather great instant messaging app. Although Facebook Messenger is linked to the Facebook social media, it can also be used as a stand-alone app.
When you access Facebook on a computer (whether laptop or desktop), you would have the option to chat or message your Facebook friends. The Facebook Messenger is exactly the same. You will have access to exactly the same contacts and features whether you are using a computer or the app on your smart phone or mobile device.
Using the Facebook Messenger app has many advantages. For example, you can use the great video chat feature. All other features are similar to what you would find on the Kik Messenger app and other instant messaging apps of its kind.
Viber
Viber is another contender that should definitely be included on this list. Although you can use to exchange text messages with other users, you can also use Viber to make and receive video calls. Also, Viber allows you to make phone calls to people who do not use Viber at lower rates that telephone companies.
Skype
Many people would rank Skype over Viber, and we would not argue with them. On this list, we are not really ranking the instant messaging apps in relation to the others. Instead, we are presenting the best apps like Kik Messenger so then you can decide which ones you prefer. There is also no reason why you couldn’t use more than one of these chat apps (even all of them!).
Skype is a great app because it allows their users to chat on cam, audio, or by exchanging text messages (or any combination of those chatting modes). It is really up to individual users. You can adapt how you chat with your contacts based on your circumstances or personal needs at any given time. Skype also allows users to call people who do not use Skype.
So you can call someone on his or her cell home (or home phone) from the Skype app. If you are calling (or video calling) other Skype users you will be able to do so on a one-to-one basis or as a group. Skype is available across virtually any platform, including computers (both Mac and Windows PC), smart phones, and smart mobile devices. Skype allows for customization so users can have totally different experiences using the app.
Telegram
This fairly newcomer has proved to be very popular. It is a less “traditional” instant messaging app because of some of its features. One of the most ground breaking features Telegram has is the one that gets rid of messages. You can decide the expiration date for your messages. The messages will then delete themselves once that date has been reached. This is a great feature for people who do not like the idea of their messages being forever available.
Another great thing about Telegram is that you can attach rather large files to your messages. The drawback is that Telegram only allows the exchange of text-based messages (the big clue was on the app’s name), so you will not be able to video chat or call anybody through the app.
Snapchat
Snapchat is possibly the most innovative of the instant messaging apps. When it comes to it, Snapchat is almost totally different to the Kik Messenger app. But they do have one huge thing in common: they attract a lot of the same young people.
Snapchat focuses on pictures or short videos accompanied by short text messages. Snapchat is a fun way to communicate between friends and strangers but if you want to get into deeper conversations you would like to look elsewhere.
Yahoo Messenger
Yahoo Messenger has been around for a lot longer than many of the other apps on this list. It would be very easy to dismiss the Yahoo Messenger just on those grounds, but that would be totally unfair. Yahoo Messenger has made a great transition from a computer-based app to one that is also available for smart phones and other mobile devices. It offers pretty much the same features as many of the other apps on this list, including video chats, and text messages but it also has an amazing feature that makes it stand out from the competition.
Slack
The last two apps on our list are geared toward young urban users. Slack is particularly use in the small business world as a means of communicating ideas. This is because Slack is great for sending large files, which makes it ideal to use in a business setting.
Discord
Discord is one of the newest apps on this list. It is also one you may not have heard about, particularly if you are not a gamer. Discord has been particularly embraced by the gamer community (unsurprisingly, since the app is specifically geared toward them).
Discord stands out from all the other apps on this article, not only because it is geared toward gamers but also because, unlike other instant messaging apps, it focuses exclusively on group chats. You can also use voice chat, which ideal to use when you have your hands busy playing a video game.
As you can see from our list, there are apps like Kik Messenger that would suit almost every lifestyle. We have tried to include as wide a variety as possible, but we have only included those apps that are as reliable and easy to use as the Kik Messenger app. If you have any comment about the apps included or would like to talk about one we did not include, please leave a message in the section below.