Threema vs Wire
Threema and Wire are both described as Swiss-based, but they target different buyers. Threema sells a consumer app for a one-time purchase and accounts without a phone number or email, with Work tiers billed per user on top. Wire gives small teams a free plan for five people and then charges per person for a work-chat setup with SSO and federation at the higher steps. One is built around paying once, the other around a team plan that grows.
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Choose Threema ifyou want to pay once for a personal or family messenger and sign up without a phone number or email. You accept that the licence does not move between app stores.
Choose Wire ifyou run a small team that wants encrypted work chat, starting free at five people and moving to a per-person plan. You can work with the fact that conference calls on the free tier stop at two participants.
Threema and Wire side by side
| Threema | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| Our messaging apps rank | #2 of 15 | #4 of 15 |
| Established in | Switzerland | Switzerland |
| List price, 6 November 2026 | One-time 6 purchase for Private (no subscription); Work Core 3 and Professional 5 per user per month on annual payment | Five-person free plan; SMB EUR 7.45 per person monthly on annual payment (EUR 8.94 on monthly billing); Enterprise by contact |
| Free tier | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Households and small organisations that prefer paying once over being the product. | Organisations whose first requirement is encrypted conversations with controlled federation |
| Not for | Buyers who need free sign-up for every contact or several phones per ID. | Large communities wanting big public channels and a wide app directory |
Both are reviewed in full in our messaging apps ranking: Threema and Wire.
Where they differ
Threema 3 · Wire 2 · open 1- 01
Paying once versus paying per head
Threema Private is a one-time purchase of 6 in CHF, EUR or USD depending on app store and country, with no recurring fees afterward. Wire for SMB costs EUR 7.45 per person per month on annual payment or EUR 8.94 monthly, for up to 100 people. For a family or one person Threema's model is plainly cheaper over time, while Wire only makes sense as a team subscription.
Edge: Threema
- 02
What the free option covers
Wire's free plan is for up to 5 people and 8 devices, with 500 participants per chat, encrypted messaging, calls and file sharing, but no conference calls above 2 participants. Threema has no free consumer plan in the pack we read, though Threema Work offers a 30-day trial for 30 users with no payment details, and Professional has a try-for-free option. Wire is the one to pick if you need a free start.
Edge: Wire
- 03
Signing up without handing over contact details
Threema's FAQ says a phone number and an email are optional, and each user gets an 8-digit Threema ID tied to a public key. The Wire pages we read do not describe how accounts are created. Threema has the clearer story for anyone who does not want to link an identity to a phone number, and Wire's pages leave the question open.
Edge: Threema
- 04
More than one phone or device
Threema states there is no multi-device support for one ID yet, so desktop and web clients link to the phone instead. Wire's free plan allows 8 devices for up to 5 people, and nothing on its pricing page mentions a limit of one phone per account. Threema Safe can restore the ID, contacts and groups on a new phone, though it does not back up chat history, so a move still costs you old conversations.
Edge: Wire
- 05
Source code you can read
The Threema Android repository is under AGPL v3 with Threema AG as copyright holder, but the official server infrastructure requires a purchased licence. Wire's Android repository is under GPL-3.0 with no licence granted to the Wire trademark and logos, and wire-server-deploy is AGPL-3.0. Both publish code, and neither lets you freely reuse the brand, so on openness alone this round is close to a draw between them.
Depends on the buyer
- 06
Where each company says it sits
Threema AG states that its headquarters and servers stay in Switzerland. Wire's imprint gives Wire Swiss GmbH at Untermuli 9, 6300 Zug, Switzerland, while the about page describes a Berlin headquarters and research and development. Wire's own pages therefore point to two places, and a contract should settle which legal entity you deal with. Threema's single statement about Switzerland is simpler to rely on.
Edge: Threema
When neither fits
If you want a free app with a large contact base or an open federated network, neither is the obvious route. Signal is the widely used free option, and Element is the choice when you want a self-hostable Matrix-based setup.
Threema or Wire: questions
3 answersDoes Threema charge a monthly fee for the consumer app?
No, Threema Private is a one-time purchase of 6 in the currency of your app store, with no recurring fees. The Work editions are different and are billed per user on annual payment. A licence bought on one app store does not transfer to another.
At what team size does Wire stop being free?
The free plan covers teams of up to 5 people and 8 devices. Past that you need the SMB plan, which covers up to 100 people at EUR 7.45 per person per month on annual payment. Beyond 100 people the Enterprise plan is custom.
Can either be run on my own servers?
Threema offers an OnPrem edition that is self-hosted, with pricing on contact. Wire mentions Wire On-Premises, available through sales, and lists private cloud or on-premise deployment under Enterprise. Both route self-hosting through a sales conversation.
Sources
Checked 6 November 2026- Threema pricing: one-time Private price, Work Core and Professional rates and the Professional trial.
- Threema FAQ: optional phone and email, Threema ID, no multi-device, Safe backup scope and non-transferable licences.
- Threema home page: 30-day Work trial for 30 users and the OnPrem self-hosted edition.
- Threema Android repository: AGPL v3 licence and the purchased-licence requirement for official servers.
- Wire pricing: free plan limits, SMB rate, Enterprise features and the on-premises mention.
- Wire imprint: Wire Swiss GmbH address in Zug.
- Wire about page: Berlin headquarters wording.
- Wire Android repository: GPL-3.0 licence and no trademark grant.