The Best End-to-End Encrypted Messaging Apps for Businesses & Governments [2023]

We never know how many more COVID variants are going to hit the people of this world and how long working from home or a remote location will continue to persist. Come what may, employers should be more inclined towards providing a productive work environment to their workforce to improve their company’s ROI. Additionally, they should look for encrypted messaging apps that offer E2EE and other secure access methods like multi-factor authentication to avoid security breaches on data.

These days, enterprises of all forms and sizes would prefer to go for team collaboration apps that provide the best communication experience along with secure messaging features that helps protect their critical organizational internal data. 

Whether it is a text, voice note, document, audio, or video message, instead of putting it into the wrong hands, ensure that only the intended recipients understand the contents of your message! You can achieve this by choosing a business collaboration tool that provides a strong public-key encryption system E2EE. And, here comes the trusted office collaboration application that allows the employer to choose from a wide range of messaging tools available in the market.

Troop Messenger, provides you with the options of Plain, Standard, and E2EE standards of encryption, letting you enforce them on your business or inter-departmental communications of Government, Defence, and other data-conscious industries.

What is End-to-End Encryption?

If you are looking for a system of communication where your data is not read or secretly modified by anyone, not even by your service provider, then you should opt for the most secure messaging app that offers End-to-End Encryption(E2EE).

In this form of the encryption standard, only the sender and the intended recipient users can access data or messages. The hackers or any third-party intruders can’t access data when it is in transit or at rest, not even from the servers.

What is Encrypted Messaging?

To encrypt a message, certain key-based encryption algorithms, such as symmetric and asymmetric, must be applied to secure the contents of the message from a hacker while only allowing the sender and the intended recipient to read it. 

Your personal or business messages can attain the highest form of security and authenticity with a public key used for encryption and a private key for decryption.

Hence, it is advised to choose an instant messaging software that offers secure communication.

How end-to-end encryption in Messages provides more security?

No one can have access to your message contents nor can they read it!

Governments, defense, or data-sensitive business enterprises such as banking, pharma, finance, and others, you should ascertain to have an end-to-end encryption app like Troop Messenger that protects your piece of classified information from falling into the wrong hands.

Here we come up with a list of end-to-end encrypted messaging apps that protects and secures your organization’s work conversations:

1. Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger is primarily designed for government agencies, the military, large enterprises, small teams, and others for secure and seamless work communication and collaboration. All of your chats, calls, voice messages, and conferences are fully encrypted and protected! This trusted and industry-leading end-to-end encrypted messaging platform was made available to the public in the year 2017, allowing them to stay connected 24/7 over the cross-platforms of Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS-powered devices. It comes with an ocean of work-productive and unique collaboration features to help teams communicate and collaborate faster!

An eye-pleasing UI of Troop Messenger with satisfied UX is one greatest assets of the product alongside its rare collaboration functionalities! Forkout, Burnout, Chat area filters, Intensive File Management, Zapier Integration, Feature Access Controls, Wallpaper, Quick Response Panel, and more stand out as rare features from the tools of the same space available in the market.

Security Features

The security aspect of Troop Messenger has been robustly designed with the AES-256 military-grade encryption algorithms to serve data-sensitive entities such as the Government, Regulated Industries, and Defence agencies for securely exchanging their work communication across this encrypted messaging app. Besides using the types of encryptions of plain, standard, and E2EE that we provide, you can also safeguard your organization's information with the additional security features:

• AES-256 military-grade standard encryption
• Identity and Access Management
• Public-Private key E2EE
• LDAP/SSO
• Multi-factor Authentication
• Burnout self-destruct window for confidential conversations
• Access Controls on features for Admin
• Chat Surveillance
• Audit Logs
• On-premise Deployment
• Works within your Air-Gapped Networks 

Troop Messenger is a comprehensive chat app that ideally suits business teams of all enterprise sizes. In addition, it works as a perfect Government Chat App serving all kinds of confidential communication.

Pros

• SaaS, on-premise, chat APIs, custom app, white labeling service offering
• Productive collaboration features like chat area filters, bulk messaging with Forkout, a Jointly-code editor for developers, recall, multiple forward, delete, and copy options.
• Role-based access controls 
• Restricted guest access
• Feature access controls
• Zapier integration to connect with thousands of apps
• Affordable pricing plans
• Intensive File Management
• Simple UI with chat Wallpaper

Cons

• Need screen annotation for a Desktop app too!

2. Wickr

Another secure messaging app that protects all of your communication is Wickr! It is one of the industry-leading encrypted chat apps that offers you the deployment models of SaaS and On-premise with the features of 1:1 and group messaging, teleconferencing, file sharing, Bots, and others.

Security Features

As one of the secure collaboration apps, Wickr boasts a promising number of security features to serve the entities of Governments, the Military, and others with the controls of:

• Data Retention Policies
• Zero Trust Platform
• Perfect Forward Secrecy
• Ephemeral messages and attachments
• Does not log IP addresses and does not record user metadata
• User Key Verification

Pros

• View code on GitHub
• SaaS and On-premise service offering
• Integrations
• Ephemeral messages and attachments
• Secure screen sharing

Cons

• Unusual message handling
• Partially opensource

3. DCS (Defense Collaboration Services)

Here comes another encrypted chat app which is an open-source tool! It offers the features of one-to-one chat, chat rooms, and web conferencing facilities for users on NIPRNet (Sensitive but Unclassified Internet Protocol Network) and SIPRNet (Secret Internet Protocol Router Network). The users of DCS can share content and presentations using desktop sharing and explain the real-time scenarios of their day-to-day operations.

Primarily, DCS provides a web conferencing facility for its users with the features of recording and playback sessions, remote desktop sharing, text chat, polling, voting, multi-user chat room integrated with it.

Security Features

• Common Access Card (CAC) in the unclassified environment (UE)
• PKI hard token in the classified environment (CE)
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) enablement
• DISA-supported Identity and Access Management (IdAM)

Pros

• Safe File Transfer
• Recording and playback facilities
• Identity and Access Management

Cons

• No references

4. Signal

Signal, the private chat messenger application for individuals, though it offers encrypted communication, I don’t think it has the functionalities that serve the day-to-day operational needs of a business enterprise and Government organizations. With the privacy-preserved technology used by Signal, no one can send messages to a non-intended user. It is an independent non-profit supported by the people with grants and donations.

This secure messaging cross-platform application allows you to share text, files, voice messages, images and GIFs, and videos over Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. You can use these tools to edit and record your video files, here are the best GIF recorders, image, and video editing for you.

Security Features

• End-to-End Encryption by Open-source Signal Protocol
• View-once media
• Encrypted stickers
• Self-destructing messages

Pros

• Secure, messages can’t be interpreted by third parties
• It doesn’t log the IP address
• Verification of audio messages
• Fully open-source

Cons

• Bugs on its iOS platform
• Popular but not used by many

5. Telegram

One more popular encrypted messaging app of the same instant messaging kitty, Telegram, is a cloud-based, simple-to-use desktop and mobile app that provides high-speed messaging service with distributed servers spread across the globe. The source code and open API of this most reliable messaging tool for individuals are free for all, letting others build mobile applications similar to it. Your text chats, files, and videos go self-destructible once the pre-set timer fix expired.

Security Features

• Messages are heavily encrypted
• Can self-destruct private messages
• Secures your content from hacker attacks
• Disappearing messages 

Pros

• Fast Messaging
• No Ads and it is completely free
• Secret Chats between two users
• Chat Rooms for up to 5000 users

Cons

• Have to explicitly enable end-to-end encrypted mode, the secret mode!
• No self-hosted deployment

6. WhatsApp

WhatsApp, the first highly end-to-end encrypted messaging app in the personal messaging space, is widely used by almost everyone to stay in touch with their friends and families! Do you think WhatsApp would be a great communication app for Enterprises and the Government? My answer is no! Though it doesn’t store user messages on its servers, WhatsApp doesn’t have efficient and productive features that help business users to wrap up their work conversations faster. Moreover, the user will have control over your organization’s data even after they exit from the organization.

The personal messaging space for friends and family should not be an ideal messaging platform for enterprises and governments.

Security Features

• Uses a Signal Encryption protocol
• Text, Voice-video calls, photos, videos, and voice messages are end-to-end encrypted.
• Two-key system

Pros

• The best app for personal messaging
• Chat backup facility
• Fun space for friends and family
• Chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted

Cons

• Strictly not recommended for office communication
• No work-productive boosters

7. Messagenius

Choose any of the installation methods, whether on-premises or cloud installation, Messagenius offers you both secure enterprise messaging and total data ownership. Be it for team messaging or field workers, the features of text and voice messaging, sharing of files, videos, text files, location sharing, etc., work seamlessly and efficiently. It lets you find your contacts with just one tap with smart contact lists and customized search filters.

It says it provides a few special privileges for the admin to blast messages for the entire workforce in one click, message delivery tracking, and priority messages. Whereas, in Troop Messenger, every user can send the same message to all the co-workers apart from the admin.

Security Features

• On-premise for data ownership and security
• Enterprise privacy for data
• GDPR-Compliance
• Black-box modes and Black Hole disappearing messages

Pros

• On-premise and Private cloud installation
• Special features for Admins
• Smart contact directory
• Calendar to organize meetings

Cons

• No transparency in pricing
• No features page on the website

8. Element.io

Element.io is been built on Matrix! It offers personal messaging and enterprise collaboration to provide independent and secure communication. It allows users to bring their WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram chats into its personal messaging variant, Element One. This open-source enterprise collaboration tool provides end-to-end encryption for your messages along with unlimited audio and video.

You can be the owner of your data, which means you can store your messages on your end. Enterprises can choose between "hosted by us" in the Element cloud or on-premise deployment models to securely run their work conversations. It provides you with different kinds of rooms, such as private, internal, and public.

Security Features

• End-to-end Encrypted messages
• On-premise deployment
• Fully managed 
• Bridging facilities between apps

Pros

• It provides the client-side E2E encryption
• Easy to set-up
• You can get started with its free plan
• Centralized messaging archived capability

Cons

• Limited features in the free plan and the paid plans seem to be expensive.
• Code is available in Github, but it’s not open source

9. Threema

The personal messaging space for friends and family should not be an ideal messaging platform for enterprises and governments. This open-source secure and private messenger application uses a unique security solution such as NaCl cryptographic function to safeguard users’ conversations with encryption. With Threema, you can send text messages, and share files, images, videos, and locations like any secure messaging app, but it doesn’t allow anonymous users to use it.  

An additional security feature from Threema is that it ensures not store the contact details of the users on its servers.

Security Features

• No fallback to decrypted conversations
• No email or contact number required to sign-up
• Login via an ID key

Pros

• Pay once, chat forever
• Doesn’t collect user data
• Open-source
• Chat with Threema ID, no phone number is required

Cons

• It needs your GPS location upon installation
• Tedious installation process

10. Wire

Wire is another end-to-end encrypted messaging app that provides secure communication for classified environments, offline networks, and remote teams. It provides secure information exchange, conferencing, and file sharing across its cloud, private cloud, and on-premises. Wire, secure messaging, serves the industries of Government, health care, SMB, Critical Industries, and others.

Besides the basic collaboration services, it offers a large conferencing, guest room, calendar integrations, single sign-on, provisioning, APIs, Managing wire services, and others, for its users.

Security Features

• End-to-end encryption stays activated all the time
• Ephemeral messages
• On-premise deployment
• Highest level of data security and control

Pros

• Secure architecture
• Live to stream
• Reliable
• Intuitive interface

Cons

• Screen share facility available for single screen
• No message check info option

Wrapping it up!

For quite a long time, we have been hearing that messaging apps get compromised by third-party vendors on users’ data and contact details. This has led to the emergence of secure messaging apps like Troop Messenger, Threema, and others to protect the user’s business and confidential data over the internet with a strong end-to-end encryption algorithm. A few are free, while a few others are chargeable. A few are encrypted but not business-oriented. A few are affordable but not productive. Therefore, choose a digital collaboration space that is secure as well as productive. 

Collaboration apps that are end-to-end encrypted with special admin controls are ideal for businesses and governments. Choose the one that suits you the best!