Naven
Comparison
Naven vs WhatsApp
The short answer: WhatsApp requires a phone number and an app install; Naven requires neither and runs entirely in a browser. WhatsApp moderates after a report; Naven screens every message before it sends against ten published categories. WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted and Naven is not.
Naven vs WhatsApp at a glance
| Naven | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone number required | Never. Google, email, or a guest session | Required — your account is your phone number |
| App install required | Nothing. The whole product runs in a browser | App required on phone; desktop is a companion |
| End-to-end encrypted | No — and Naven says so. Pre-send screening and E2EE cannot both be true | Yes, by default |
| Platforms | Any browser: Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, Android | iOS, Android, desktop app, web (paired to a phone) |
| Communities | Public and invite-only channels, plus an AI newsroom | Groups and Communities, up to 1024 members |
| Age model | Age bands; under-13 accounts get the strictest screening, and are suspended pending guardian approval if it is repeatedly tripped | Officially 13+; no age assurance beyond a self-declared date |
| Moderation model | Pre-send. Seven published categories, checked before delivery | Reactive. E2EE means content is only reviewed when a user reports it, after delivery |
What WhatsApp does better
The best network effect in the world and genuine default-on E2EE. If everyone you know is already there and you want encryption, WhatsApp is hard to beat.
Where WhatsApp gets in the way
You cannot join without a phone number, and a primary phone must stay online for the web client to work. That excludes children without phones, people who change SIMs, and anyone unwilling to hand their number to a group of near-strangers.
Who should stay with WhatsApp
You need end-to-end encryption more than you need pre-send screening, and everyone you talk to already has it installed.
Who Naven is for instead
Naven is built for a group that spans devices and will not all install the same app — a family across iPhone and Android, a club with one member on a school Chromebook, friends in three countries with three different SIMs. It is also built for a parent who wants a real answer about safety: messages are screened before they send — slurs, strong language and ten kinds of conduct, all published in full — while ordinary disagreement is deliberately left alone.
Moving a group off WhatsApp
The hard part of leaving WhatsApp is never the software, it is the eight people who have to agree. Two things make that easier here. First, nobody has to install anything or hand over a number, so "I'll do it later" stops being a reason. Second, you do not have to move everything at once — start one group, keep WhatsApp for the people who are staying, and let the rest follow when they see the link works.
- Open Naven in the browser you are reading this in and sign in with Google or an email address.
- Create the group and send the link into your existing WhatsApp chat — that is where everyone already is.
- People open the link and they are in. On WhatsApp they would first need the app installed and a phone number to hand over.
- Keep WhatsApp for anyone who wants it. Naven does not need to be your only messenger to be useful.
Frequently asked
Is Naven a good WhatsApp alternative?
It depends what you want from WhatsApp. The best network effect in the world and genuine default-on E2EE. If everyone you know is already there and you want encryption, WhatsApp is hard to beat. If that is the part you rely on, stay. If what bothers you is the phone number requirement, the device fragmentation, or the fact that harm is only handled after somebody reports it, then Naven is built for exactly that complaint.
Is Naven end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp?
No. Content that never reaches a server cannot be screened before it sends, so pre-send screening and end-to-end encryption cannot both be true. Naven chose screening because it is built to be usable by children. Naven is transport-encrypted throughout, publishes no member directory, and does not profile or sell what you send. If end-to-end encryption matters more to you, use Signal for those conversations.
Can I use Naven without downloading anything?
Yes. Messaging, group chats, channels, voice calls and video calls all run in a web browser on any operating system. There is no app to install and no app store account required.
Does Naven need my phone number?
No. You sign in with Google, with an email address, or as a guest with neither. There is no phone number field anywhere in Naven.
Is Naven free?
Yes — free, with no advertising, no paid tier, no algorithmic feed and no data sale.