Despite the fact that Whatsapp has more than 400 million users globally (as per the company's last reports), not everyone we know loves the Instant Messenger client. Some cannot be bothered to be “connected” with everyone who is in their mobile phonebook while others do not like the fact that Whatsapp isn’t really very private, because just about anyone can send them a message unless specifically blocked. The app does lack a bit of sophistication as well, when compared to some of the rivals who sport better UIs and slicker deployment of features. And, all these faults could be forgiven except for the fact that it isn’t free once you finish the complementary usage period.
So, what is the alternative? Well, there are many, actually. We handpick three of the best ones for you to switch to. And before you send any brickbats our way for not including Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts, or similar apps, we did not want to confuse matters by making you switch to an IM app that piggybacks on a full-fledged social network. Simply because, what we are looking for through this exercise is a replacement for Whatsapp, which was in turn a replacement of the plain and simple SMS and similarly relies on phone numbers instead of online identities.
