4 Free WhatsApp Alternatives

BY KARISSA BELL1 DAY AGO

Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $16 billion Wednesday, and as with Instagram and Facebook's other acquisitions, many users are already expressing concern that the social network could ruin the app.

For its part, Facebook said the messaging service will continue to operate independently. But in case you're still worried about WhatsApp's future, we've rounded up four free alternatives, below.

1. Viber

IMAGE: VIBER

Viber, which was also recently acquired — if for a considerably less $900 million— offers free messaging and voice calls to its more than 200 million mobile and desktop users.

The app also offers calling to non-Viber users for 1.9 cents a minute via Viber Out. What's more, there is a desktop version of Viber, so users can sync messages from any connected device to their PC.

Viber is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry.

2. Kik

Kik, which began as a BlackBerry app in 2009, also offers free messaging services to its more than 100 million users. Unlike WhatsApp and other competitors, Kik doesn't require its users to have a mobile phone number. The Canadian company recently updated its Android and iOS apps to include a built-in browser, so users can browse and search the web, as well as use web apps without ever leaving Kik.

The app is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry.

3. WeChat

IMAGE: WECHAT

Although China-based WeChat initially started as a more straightforward messaging service, it broadened its reach, transforming into a kind of social network. WeChat (formerly Weixin) offers its users a variety of ways to connect and share with each another, including messaging, photo-sharing, group chatting, voice and video calling, location sharing and friend discovery.

WeChat is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry.

4. Tango

Tango is another messaging app that is moving toward becoming a full-fledged social network. In addition to standard text services, it offers video and voice calls, photo-sharing, in-app games, friend discovery and Spotify-powered music messaging.

Tango is available for iOS,Android and Windows Phone 7. A desktop version is also available.

Lets wait what latest features facebook is going to add on whatsapp..................

How WhatsApp buyout will help Facebook in India

It's $19 billion buyout of WhatsApp that will help Facebook expand footprint in emerging markets of Latin America and Asia, especially India, where the mobile instant messaging app is very popular.

Founded in 2009 by Ukrainian Jan Koum and American Brian Acton, Mountain View (California)-headquartered WhatsApp is a Silicon Valley start-up with over 450 million monthly users.

It allows users to exchange text, pictures and videos using smartphones. The app is very popular among youth across Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia including India, where Facebook is beefing up its presence.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said messaging is a "very competitive space" and WhatsApp is a "clear global leader".

"It (WhatsApp) is in Europe, Latin America, India... Its kind of a clear leader," he told analysts on a concall.

The focus will be on simplicity, speed and reliability and "something that does not clutter the app with features and over time, people will pay for that", he added.

"WhatsApp has built a leading and rapidly growing real time mobile messaging service, with over 450 million people using the service each month, messaging volume approaching the entire global telecom SMS volume and continued strong growth, currently adding more than 1 million new registered users per day," Facebook said.

Facebook CFO David Ebersman said the focus is now on growing the platform over the next five years.

"Considering that messaging in the number one activity on smartphones and the direct messaging business is about $100 billion globally for telecom carriers, our focus is on the next 5 years," he added.

On the acquisition and monetisation, Zuckerberg said: "Our explicit strategy for the next several years is to focus on growing and connecting everyone in the world.

"WhatsApp has a strong presence internationally...but it's a fragmented market with many competitors. Outpacing them right now is critical. Once we get to be a service with 1 billion, 2 billion, 3 billion people, there are many clear ways that we can monetise," he said.

Koum, who expects the smartphone userbase globally to touch 5 billion in the next few years, said the alliance with Facebook will give WhatsApp "the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, Brian, and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that's as fast, affordable and personal as possible."

WhatsApp is the biggest acquisition till date for the Menlo Park-headquartered firm. In 2012, it had acquired picture-sharing app Instagram for about $1 billion. Last year, its $3 billion-bid to acquire photo sharing app Snapchat got turned down.

Facebook, which expects to close the deal his year, will pay WhatsApp $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in stocks and another $3 billion in restricted stock that vests over several years.