Franz is an application developed with ElectronJS, which groups your messaging tools (notably Messenger, Slack & Tweetdeck) and allows them to easily have a cross-platform desktop application in JS. You will understand, it is therefore found on the main OS, namely Windows, macOS & Linux. It’s a kind of browser that keeps its tabs open, it allows you to find all your tools in one click when starting your machine.
What is Franz?
In short, Franz is an awesome free messaging tool that allows connecting to several social chat messenger in one place. It supports popular Operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Quick Overivew
Benefits of Franz
Franz offers the following features which you should look for in other alternatives-
- Have all the messaging services in one place: It is very convenient to use WhatsApp, the Facebook messenger, Telegram, Gmail, Discord, etc. from one single application.
- You can add multiple accounts of the same service to manage private and business aspects of it at the same time.
- Features like priority notifications are also present which are the perfect tools for specific situations.
- You can easily make a reminder/memo or to-do list out of your message text with just 2 clicks.
- Franz offers more than 20 languages so you certainly not have to worry about having issues with international clients.
- Other important features like Cloud Sync, Dark mode, Cross-platform support, Spellchecker support, and extensions make Franz one of the best of its kind.
Top Alternatives to Franz
There is no doubt that Franz is a very popular messenger but there are several other similar software available. Here is the list of Franz Alternatives which are free and works with Windows, Mac & Linux:
Pidgin
This application is a popular multi-platform, cross-platform instant messaging client that had to change its name at the time due to legal issues with AOL. From its interface, you can chat interchangeably with Skype!, Yahoo, ICQ, or AIM users and even with the participants of an IRC chat room.
Key Features
- Users can register with multiple accounts on multiple messaging networks simultaneously.
- Intended for USB keys and all other removable media, allows you to constantly keep a communication tool with you!
- Chat across major messengers like AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, Bonjour, MySpaceIM, Google Talk, Zephyr.
- It is open-source and available for all platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux).
- Correction of problems when transferring icons, emoticons, or files with WLM 9.
Highlights
Users can have accessed this application’s underlying code and modify it to suit your needs, as long as you publish the changes you make for everyone to benefit from as well.
Official Website
System supports: Windows 10 & Older Versions, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Illumos
File size: 8.3 MB
Trillian
Trillian is a multiplatform IM chat client for Android that, according to the opinion of many users, is the best on the Android Market, due to the number of services it supports and the simplicity and fluidity of its behavior. It avoids excessive battery consumption and does not wreak havoc on our flat data rate.
Key Features
- It has a powerful, clean, and flexible interface, really easy to manage. Its compact interface saves you space on the desktop.
- Any edition of the messaging client will have the possibility of starting multiple sessions, allowing the use of themes, maintaining a history of activities, and other functions.
- Set up hotkeys to do anything related, like launch applications, open message windows, and more.
- Improves the integration of social networks, adds a cloud-based chat history, and includes a new feature that allows us to synchronize instant messages between all devices.
- Ability to synchronize all the information between each of the devices where Trillian is used.
Highlights
Decide who to receive notifications from, and even configure the service to automatically start a conversation with your favorite contacts.
Official Website
System supports: Windows, Android, and Web-based
File size: 16.8 MB
Rambox
It is an open-source, multiplatform tool, developed by Ramiro Saenz, that allows us to run more than 70 email and messaging services from a single application. In other words, Rambox offers us the possibility of managing our WhatsApp chat, reading our email, interacting on Twitter, having conversations on Skype, Facebook, Linkedin.
Key Features
- Open-source software is always a great security advantage. Simply because the code is there for anyone who wants to check it out and see what the app in question does.
- Rambox supports different clients/protocols, including Telegram, Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Google, Hipchat, and Steam.
- You can also configure your email accounts of the most popular services and even configure by hand if it is not among the predefined ones.
- There are clients available for OSX, Windows, and Linux, very easy to install.
- It does not store your information anywhere outside the respective servers of each service.
- Rambox supports around 16 languages, including English, German, Spanish, and Russian.
Highlights
It is fairly lightweight and efficient, with an organized interface and compatible with most of the distros and desktop environments available for Linux. It has the possibility of organizing the services that we have assets according to our taste.
Official Website
System supports: Windows
File size: 93.5 MB
Caprine
It is an open-source, cross-platform Facebook Messenger application built with Electron. This tool builds on the Facebook Messenger web platform, modifying and adding additional features. For example, in the latest version, you can now prevent people from knowing when they have seen a message or are writing.
Key Features
- Very simple and elegant interface. In the left side panel, you can find your recent conversations and other contacts. By clicking on any of them we can chat without problems.
- We find the dark mode that will improve visibility a notification system that we can customize to our liking.
- This app also has several privacy options: blocking the writing indicator so that other people do not know when we are writing.
- Users can converse through Facebook Messenger without using the usual channels with many customization options.
- Copy/paste image support. It also can prevent accidental copy-pastes.
Highlights
This tool prevents link tracking. That means the links that you click on will not be tracked by Facebook and Automatically updates when a new version available.
Download: https://github.com/sindresorhus/caprine
System supports: macOS, Windows, and Linux
File size: 50.2 MB
Miranda IM
This is an excellent tool that fits into different messaging services. Possibly it is the resource that many users were looking for since with the use of a single application, you can converse both with among those who use Windows Live Messenger and yahoo messenger.
Key Features
- It allows us to establish connections to different networks due to its extensive support of protocols; among them, we can highlight: ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, Tlen, Jabber, IAX, Gadu-Gadu, AIM, etc.
- This application includes support for plug-ins, by which it is possible to extend its functionality easily.
- If you need to work with one that can support multiple networks, the available applications decrease and are generally robust and even complicated programs.
- It is added that being a portable version, it can be loaded on a USB key for use on any computer, without the need for any installation.
Highlights
It consumes a scarce amount of resources, it is possible to run it with other applications without detecting big loss. Besides, it integrates all the features of conventional instant messaging customers.
Official Website
System supports: macOS, Windows, and Linux
File size: 7.9 MB
Empathy
This tool is a fast messaging application for the GNOME Desktop. It is an instant messaging application for the GNOME Desktop. It supports text messaging, voice and video calls, file transfer, and the most popular messaging systems like Jabber and Google Talk.
Key Features
- Allows voice and video chat through many protocols, including Facebook IM, MSN, Google Talk, and some others.
- It is a VoIP application that allows the use of SIP for voice calls and XMPP for file transfers.
- Help you collaborate better at work and allow you to keep in touch with your friends easily.
- You can group conversations in a single window or have multiple windows for different types of conversations.
- Easy search for your previous conversations and sharing on your desktop with just a few mouse clicks.
Highlights
The interface is very basic, reminiscent of the old days of IRC. Despite this slim structure, the application is fast and robust and the configuration panel is very basic.
Official Website
System supports: BSD, Linux, Other Unix
File size: 4.8 MB
Disa
The Disa app makes it super simple to merge multiple conversations across multiple services at once; offers the possibility of answering everyone in a very short time. It brings order to chaos by joining the conversations; And thanks to the patented pending power management technology, there is no additional impact on battery life.
Key Features
- Disa brings together applications like WhatsApp, SMS, and Facebook Messenger, as well as the old SMS, in a single application.
- It has a plugin system, which has recently been open source; It means that instant messaging companies can create their plugin.
- It asks us when starting is to add a service to manage. It is about adding plugins to be able to manage certain apps.
- Disa works in the update, once it is finished it asks us to restart the application.
- To avoid fraud, when we add a second or third account, we will have to verify our identity in the other terminals.
Highlights
The best thing of all is that if we add our information from several Facebook accounts, from the Disa home we can only check at a glance all the news of each account.
Official Website
System supports: Android and iPhone
File size: 50 MB
Telegram Desktop
Telegram Desktop is simply the computer version of the application. It is synchronized with the user’s account, so it is possible to send and receive messages in the normal way. Only in this case, it is used on the computer. It is possible to use it in all kinds of operating systems because there are versions for Windows, macOS, Linux 32 bit, and Linux 64 bit.
Key Features
- You can talk or chat with all your contacts in the usual way.
- If a conversation was registered in the mobile application, you can continue it later on the PC with “Telegram Desktop”.
- Any type of item sent in the mobile application (photos, videos, or any other similar item) will not be lost when you review the chat in the desktop version.
- The interface is quite clean and therefore will run perfectly fine on any low-resource personal computer.
- Customize the look of your app by choosing a unique color from the palette for ‘Day’, ‘Night’ themes, and colorful themes.
Highlights
To further increase privacy, Telegram added a feature that allows users to delete any message in an individual chat and delete it from the devices of both chat users.
Official Site
System supports: Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, and Android
File size: 19.5 MB
IM+
This application allows users to be in contact with friends and acquaintances, by using different protocols and instant messaging services. It has all your messaging needs covered, whether you want to stay in touch with your IM contacts or socialize with the people around you.
Key Features
- IM + Beep is a new feature that will ensure that your message is sent successfully and notify you when it has been safely delivered.
- Compatible with all major IM services including Facebook, Skype, MSN / Live Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo!, AIM / iChat, etc.
- It has a new functionality called Neighbours that offers a completely new dimension of communication in IM + app.
- Push notifications about new messages in your Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, and in the AOL e-mail box.
- Chat history, accessible in IM + on your device, and from any web browser at https://plus.im.
Highlights
Personalize the visual appearance of your IM + with themes, backgrounds, customize sound notifications, and different groups of emoticons, including emoji and animated smiley faces.
Official Site
System supports: Apple and macOS
Messenger Lite
This application is independent of the mother version, Messenger, which is also designed to work correctly on mobile devices based on the oldest Android operating system. It offers the main features of the social network messaging service so that users can quickly and easily send text, images, stickers, and links.
Key Features
- Instant messaging. As the name suggests, instantly communicate with others.
- Save space on your phone (only occupies 10 Mb).
- Now mobile data (consume very little data to communicate with others).
- Charges at high speed, very smooth experience and saves battery.
- Works everywhere, even in areas where the internet connection is slow or unstable.
- Compatible with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or later.
- Do the same as with the complete app: send messages, photos, videos, links, and much more to your friends.
Highlights
You can access all the functions of the Facebook messaging service but for very little. Save on everything that has always worried you and forget once and for all. Enjoy the reduced version when and where you want.
Download: Android
System Support: Android
Digsby
This tool allows you to receive alerts when you have new emails, but also to find out if things are happening on the social networks you use, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin. The software also offers several themes to customize the user interface with a few clicks.
Key Features
- This software with its retro interface allows you to group different services within its interface.
- You no longer have to juggle between different windows to talk to your loved ones.
- It is a completely free program but only available in English.
- The new redesign focuses on three new features: a revamped LinkedIn interface, the addition of MySpace likes/dislikes, and support group chat.
Highlights
Users can start group conversations on AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo Instant Messenger, MSN, and Jabber by clicking the button room list at the top of any IM window or go messages to “New Chat Group » In the Digsby menu.
Download: https://digsby.en.softonic.com
System supports:
File size: 18.1 MB
Conclusion
So that was it for our top picks for some Franz alternatives. We hope you were able to find the perfect software that suits your need. In case you have any queries or suggestions, kindly let us know in the comments below or contact us.
