In a world dominated by WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber, there are many lesser-known messengers that offer text chats as well as audio and video calls. Many of them focus on privacy, unique features, or work without linking to a phone number. We have selected six interesting options worth trying if you are looking for something new.

Meera: a messenger with geolocation and social networking features

Meera combines a classic chat app with elements of a social network and maps.
The application supports text and voice messages, video calls, and sharing photos and videos. Its key feature is continuous location sharing: friends can see each other on a map in real time, with the option to restrict access. This is convenient for finding nearby events, planning meetups, or even gaining followers. A built-in feed allows users to publish posts, music, and create news channels.

Pros: a three-in-one concept that combines communication, finding friends, and discovering events in one app.
Cons: the user base is still small, so friends often have to be invited manually.

TamTam: a Russian messenger with massive group chats

TamTam, developed by VK, launched in 2017 as an alternative to OK Messages.
It supports text, photos, videos, GIFs, music, group chats with up to 20,000 participants, and channels with no subscriber limits. Calls support up to 20 people, including users who are not registered. Encryption is based on TLS and proprietary protocols, with data stored on distributed servers.

Pros: custom stickers, bots, geolocation points; convenient for large communities.
Cons: complaints about message delivery errors and limited tools for channel administrators, such as no long reads or scheduled posts.

Comera: a focus on international calls

Comera, developed by an Arab company, uses Russian video communication technology from Spirit.
Its main focus is free video and audio calls worldwide. It also offers chats, group conversations, file sharing, and stickers. The app synchronizes with the phone’s contact list.

Pros: convenient international calls and a simple interface.
Cons: notification issues, with calls sometimes not arriving in the background, and quality problems reported in 2025 outside the UAE.

Jami: fully decentralized and anonymous

Jami is an open-source community project with no corporate owner.
It supports chats, video and audio calls, and file sharing. No phone number or personal data is required, only a nickname and a unique ID. It can even work without internet access within a local network over LAN or Wi-Fi.

Pros: high level of privacy and offline operation in a local network.
Cons: no Russian language support and occasional unexpected app closures.

TrueConf: a Russian video conferencing platform

TrueConf was originally designed for corporate use but also works for personal communication.
It supports chats, calls, media sharing, and high-quality video conferences up to 4K resolution, using its own security protocol.

Pros: excellent video quality and compatibility with various devices.
Cons: a business-oriented interface that may feel too formal for everyday use.

eXpress: a secure Russian messenger

eXpress, developed by Unlimited Production, started as a corporate solution and later became publicly available.
It offers private and group chats, calls, and group video conferences in the paid version. It uses end-to-end encryption, is certified by FSTEC, and is included in the Russian software registry.

Pros: high security and a low risk of being blocked.
Cons: low popularity, making it hard to find contacts, and many features such as large file transfers are paid.

In brief

Meera, TamTam, Comera, Jami, TrueConf, and eXpress are lesser-known messengers that support messaging as well as audio and video calls. They offer unique features ranging from geolocation and massive group chats to full anonymity and enterprise-grade security. Most are free to use, but their user bases are small, so you will often need to invite contacts yourself. If you are looking for alternatives to major platforms, these apps are worth trying for privacy or specific use cases.