Wire
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations
What is Wire?
Wire is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted collaboration app from Wire Swiss GmbH, covering messaging, audio and video conferences, and file sharing. It is built on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol and can run in Wire's cloud, on-premises or as a hybrid, with federation between separate backends. Prices are listed in euros, and there is a free tier for teams of up to 5 people.
Wire has a free plan. Paid plans start at €7.45 per person / month, paid annually. See every plan
Good for
- Organizations that need end-to-end encryption for messages, calls and files
- Governments and regulated sectors that require on-premises deployment
- Teams that bring outside partners in as guests or externals
- NGOs, which are offered a 40% discount
Worth knowing
- Prices are listed in euros only.
- Wire for Free stops at 5 team members and cannot start a conference call with more than 2 participants.
- The SMB plan covers teams of up to 100 people; larger organizations need a custom Enterprise quote.
- The Linux desktop app is a community-supported experimental build, and browser calling works only in Chrome.
Key features
- Encrypted messaging
- Group and 1:1 conversations with search, reactions, sketches, audio and video messages and self-deleting messages, all end-to-end encrypted with MLS.
- Calls and conferences
- Audio and video conferencing for up to 150 participants on web, desktop and mobile, with screen sharing and moderation tools such as muting participants.
- Wire Drive
- Integrated file management and online document collaboration, with files kept inside conversations tied to verified group membership.
- Guests and externals
- Externals are team members with limited access rights, while guests can join a conversation from a web browser without an account.
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
- Wire can be deployed in its cloud, on your own infrastructure or both, and federation lets separate Wire backends interact as if they were one.
- SSO, SCIM and admin controls
- Paid plans add SAML-based single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, administrative controls and feature configurations such as restricting file sharing.
Wire pricing
- Starts at
- €7.45 per person / month, paid annually
- Free plan
- Wire for Free: teams of up to 5 people with collaboration essentials on all platforms and up to 8 devices. It cannot start conference calls with more than 2 participants.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Wire for Free | €0 | For small teams of up to 5 people: collaboration essentials on all platforms and up to 8 devices. |
| Wire for SMB | €7.45per person / month, paid annually (€8.94 paid monthly) | Teams of up to 100 people. Video conferences with up to 150 participants, SSO and SCIM, administrative controls, and external and guest roles. |
| Wire for Enterprise | Custom | More than 100 people. Federation with Wire Cloud, ID Shield, full deployment support, data sovereignty and multi-tenancy. |
Read from wire.com on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Wire before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountAbout 17% less with annual payment
Wire for SMB costs €7.45 per person / month with annual payment against €8.94 with monthly payment.
Stated on wire.com - Nonprofit40% discount for NGOs
Wire's pricing FAQ says it offers NGOs a 40% discount, applied for by contacting the company.
Stated on wire.com
How people rate the Wire app
3.1
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars36%
- 4 stars13%
- 3 stars8%
- 2 stars8%
- 1 star35%
920 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 6, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Who makes Wire
Wire is made by the Wire Group, whose parent company is Wire Group Holdings GmbH in Berlin; Wire Swiss GmbH is one of its wholly owned subsidiaries. It earns money from paid plans and licences for its encrypted messaging software, sold to businesses and governments as a cloud service or for their own servers, alongside a free plan.
- Founded
- 2012wire.com
- Based
- Berlin, Germanywire.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held. Its About page says the parent, Wire Group Holdings GmbH, is majority-owned by European institutional investors holding over 90%, and names Janus Friis, Cipio Partners, Schwarz Gruppe and Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners as principal shareholders.wire.com
- Funding
- Announced on its own blog in August 2022 that it had raised €24 million in a round led by Cipio Partners and Iconical, Janus Friis's investment vehicle. Before that, UVC Partners announced it had led a $21m Series B in April 2021. In April 2024 Wire said Schwarz Group companies planned to invest, without giving an amount.wire.comuvcpartners.comwire.com
- Team
- 100+ employees in 12 countries, according to its careers pagewire.com
- Founders and leaders
- Hiring
- 2 open positions, both in product: a Senior Product Manager and a Senior Product Ownerwire-1.jobs.personio.de
- Partner program
- Three tiers (Registered, Select, Premier) for value-added resellers, managed security service providers and system integrators. Resellers get tier-based discounts, deal registration and incentives such as Premier-tier rebates; the rates are not published.wire.com
- Lately
- Pydio v5.1: Gain More Control Over Tag Cloud Metadata · Oct 1, 2026
- New Wire Drive Function: See Exactly How Much Storage Your Team Is Using · Sep 29, 2026
- Prevent Adminless Groups Is Now Available on Wire · Sep 28, 2026
- Any App, Any Team: Build Once, Share With Every Team on Wire · Sep 28, 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Wire alternatives
- Wire vs Element
Free plan
- Wire vs Mattermost
Free plan
- Wire vs Rocket.Chat
Free plan
- Wire vs Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
- Wire vs Microsoft Teams
Free plan · from $4.00/mo
Common questions
Is Wire free?
Wire has a free plan. Wire for Free: teams of up to 5 people with collaboration essentials on all platforms and up to 8 devices. It cannot start conference calls with more than 2 participants. Paid plans start at €7.45 per person / month, paid annually.
How much does Wire cost?
Wire lists 3 plans. Wire for Free: €0. Wire for SMB: €7.45 per person / month, paid annually (€8.94 paid monthly). Wire for Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from wire.com on Oct 6, 2026.
What platforms does Wire work on?
Wire is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Wire offer any discounts?
Wire publicly lists the following: About 17% less with annual payment; 40% discount for NGOs.
How is Wire rated?
Wire's iPhone and iPad app averages 3.1 out of 5 from 920 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Is Wire open source?
Yes. Wire is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Is Wire end-to-end encrypted?
Wire describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Who makes Wire?
Wire is made by Wire. Privately held. Its About page says the parent, Wire Group Holdings GmbH, is majority-owned by European institutional investors holding over 90%, and names Janus Friis, Cipio Partners, Schwarz Gruppe and Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners as principal shareholders. The company was founded in 2012.
What are the alternatives to Wire?
The closest alternatives to Wire in our directory are Element, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Slack and Microsoft Teams. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Wire.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.