Rakuten Viber vs. Signal Messenger

It's perfect for messaging and group messaging, especially when users in group are from different places, organizations... (unlike slack where you have to be member of same organization to be in same group). The video calls are the weak point of the app, so Viber is not good for conference calls, video calls and especially for group video conference calls.

Incentivized

Signal is best when you want to keep a conversation confidential. The whole premise of Signal is privacy, based on keeping location, contents, and what's in the content private. By having the delete function and the time limit on messages, as well as auto-delete, messages that are seen are not left on the device longer than they need to be. It's not appropriate for simple regular chatting or sending files that need to be shared. That's not its strong suit. What is its strong suit is the peace of mind that your confidential conversations are meant to be kept that way.

Incentivized

• It is very easy to use and is very user-friendly.
• You can have high quality video and audio meetings with more than 1 person.
• You can upload any type of file in Viber (video, audio, text, GIFs, PDF files).
• It is a very well known messenger so all people have access to it.

Incentivized

• Security - This is the main feature Signal is known for, and it's no joke. Signal's encrypted messaging is best in class and you can rest assured that it would be very difficult for a third party to intercept your messages.
• Filesharing - You can share all manner of files and audiovisual content through Signal in a secure way.
• Desktop/Mobile Sync - In order to sync your mobile installation of Signal to the desktop version, you have to use a QR Code, and do it every time you update. Old versions of Signal are no longer able to send or receive messages. This is a good and bad thing as it is a bit of a hassle, but it helps to add extra layers of security.
• Message Drafts - A nice feature where you don't lose messages you are in the middle of writing.
• Named Conversations - It's nice to be able to organize conversations
• Temporary Messages - You can send messages that will be deleted after a certain time, or when read.
• Video and Voice Chat - In addition to texting, Signal lets you make video and voice calls.

Incentivized

• As far as I can tell, Viber lacks the feature to block specific callers/numbers. I've never needed to do this, but I'd like to know I have the option.
• Viber cannot be used without wifi, so it is not possible to connect with contacts who aren't also using Viber. (Unless you want to use the paid service.)
• This isn't a major complaint, but I find the layout of Viber to be a little cluttered. Comparing it to WhatsApp, I don't find it to be quite as user-friendly, and I sometimes stumble around to find my way to a contact to call.

Incentivized

• Needs to add video
• Add time zone information so you don't call at the wrong time
• Improve the interface, as it's too bland

Incentivized

I have not frequently used the support for Viber as I have not had many problems with it on my phone. I did use support one time for problems with the computer application and used the forums to solve my problems. They were fairly easy to follow and I appreciated the online help in that format.

Incentivized

I've never contacted support but I see that they are on the ball for bug fixes, highly communicative in release notes, and continually releasing updates to Signal that address common user complaints. Given how responsive the development team is, and how they are continually improving Signal, I think their support is top notch.

Incentivized

Rakuten Viber is overall the best. Hands down!!! Even though the other products have their own use and they are well functioning in the market, but Rakuten Viber is still top notch!

Incentivized

The closest competitor we've found for Signal is Telegram. We do use Telegram with some clients and individuals who prefer it. Unfortunately, in this climate where there is no clear winner and a lot of diversity in applications, if you work with a lot of clients you're going to have to install a whole suite of instant messaging apps. Still, given the choice, we prefer Signal over its competitors, specifically for applications where high security is a concern.

Incentivized

• Rakuten Viber allows me to delete any type of message I've sent
• Rakuten Viber can't access or read my private conversations in the first place, Viber can't sell them.
• Hidden Chats allows me to keep whatever chats I want away from my main chat list, so they don't show up in my main chat list. Only a PIN that I set gives me access to Hidden Chats.

Incentivized

• Communication is crucial to accomplishing our mission
• Cost of similar commercial apps could be very prohibitive

Incentivized