A secure alternative to Microsoft Teams

Wire is built for organizations that can’t afford compromised communication offering true end-to-end encryption, full deployment control, and crisis-ready collaboration.

Contact Sales Try Wire Now
Group 12 (1)
Waves with black bg
Trusted by 1,800+ happy customers and over 10+ Million users worldwide

Why security-critical teams choose Wire over Microsoft Teams

The difference isn’t in features it’s in how security and control are designed.

  • Security by Default

  • Full Control

  • Crisis-Ready

product shot id shield2

True end-to-end encryption 
without exceptions

Microsoft Teams encrypts communication, but security is feature-dependent and often relies on platform or administrator access. For teams handling sensitive information, that model introduces risk.

Wire is built security-first. Every message, call, file, and group conversation is protected by end-to-end encryption by default using Messaging Layer Security (MLS), the next-generation encryption standard Wire helped define.

icon check green invertedEnd-to-end encryption is always on, not optional
icon check green invertedOnly conversation participants can access content
icon check green invertedSecurity without platform access or special modes
icon check green invertedDesigned for security-critical and regulated environments

"The ONLY name you can trust your private communications to. Each and every message is its own fortress with its own unique key."
— Justin S., CIO (Capterra)

Group 755

Your data. Your deployment.
Your rules.

Microsoft Teams ties communication to Microsoft’s cloud, identity, and governance model. Data residency, access, and availability depend on a single provider which can limit control in regulated or high-risk environments.

Wire is designed to give organizations direct control over how and where communication runs. 

icon check green invertedFlexible deployment options across public cloud, private
        cloud, hybrid, or fully on-premises environments
icon check green inverted A zero-trust, zero-knowledge architecture by design
icon check green invertedClear data ownership that remains with your organization
icon check green invertedFull control over access, governance, and compliance
icon check green invertedIndependence from a single cloud or platform provider

 

“Wire can be hosted on our own cloud server, making it an effective team communication partner.”
— Verified Reviewer, Enterprise IT (G2)

ChatGPT Image Nov 28, 2025, 03_50_01 PM

A channel that works when
Teams doesn’t

Microsoft Teams depends on systems that are often impacted during incidents, identity providers, corporate networks, and centralized cloud services. During outages, breaches, or account lockouts, teams can lose access to Teams exactly when coordination is most critical.

Wire is built as an independent, out-of-band communication layer that remains available during incidents and system failures. 

icon check green invertedCommunicate outside corporate identity and networks
icon check green invertedUse managed or unmanaged devices during incidents
icon check green invertedMaintain access during outages, lockouts, or security events
icon check green invertedCoordinate response and share sensitive information securely

"Wire allows us to communicate securely when other systems are not reliable."
— Verified Reviewer, Financial Services (G2)

 

Get started with Wire in minutes

Whether you’re evaluating alternatives or already using Microsoft Teams, Wire is easy to try. Start small, invite your team, and experience secure communication no migration, no configuration, no lock-in.

Start using Wire

Where Wire and Microsoft Teams truly differ

  Wire MS Teams
End-to‐End Encryption

Always on

Partial or opt-in only
Secure Key Storage

Local & verifiable

Provider-controlled
Encryption Protocol

MLS next-gen standard

TLS-based
Deployment

Cloud / Private / On-Prem

Mostly cloud-centric
Zero-Trust Architecture

Yes

Partial/limited


Review a comprehensive feature comparison to understand where Wire & Microsoft Teams differ
and which approach fits your requirements.

View full comparison

Microsoft Teams couldn’t meet enterprise-scale communication needs. Wire could.

For Schwarz Gruppe, Europe’s largest retail group, secure communication across a complex, distributed enterprise environment was critical. Microsoft Teams proved difficult to deploy and manage at scale particularly for employees without corporate devices or fixed digital identities.

Wire delivered a secure, easy-to-use communication layer that works across roles and devices, enabling reliable frontline and corporate communication without added operational complexity.

Read the full story

Rated and reviewed by real users

  • 4-Dec-22-2025-11-11-47-4760-AM
  • 2-Dec-22-2025-11-11-47-4462-AM
  • 3-Dec-22-2025-11-11-47-4443-AM

How Wire compares to Microsoft Teams — feature by feature

Security & Privacy

  WIRE MS TEAMS
Protocol Implementation  MLS TLS 1.2 and AES-256 (in GCM mode) encrypted UDP/TCP channel
End-to-End Encryption icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Local Encryption Key Storage icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Encryption-At-Rest icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Post-Compromise Security icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Perfect Forward Secrecy icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Fleet Device Verification icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Visible Cross-Signed Device Verification icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Zero Trust Architecture icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Zero Knowledge icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
BSI-approved instrument for
German Digital Sovereignty		 Wire Bund Poor-1-1

 

Core Messaging

  WIRE MS TEAMS
E2EE Public and Private Channels  MLS Optional
Private Groups icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
1:1 Messaging icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
E2EE History Sharing icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Screen Sharing icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Native Self-Deleting Messages icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Text Formatting icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Notification Settings icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Account Personalizatione icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Send Audio Messages icon check green inverted Poor-1-1

 

Integration & Ecosystem

  WIRE MS TEAMS
Public Cloud icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Private Clouds icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
On-Premises icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Secure Federation icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
Federation Scale and Flexibility icon check green inverted Limited

 

Management

  WIRE MS TEAMS
User Roles & Permissions icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
App Lock icon check green inverted Poor-1-1
SSO Supports Complex IT Environments icon check green inverted Complicated
Create Guest Rooms icon check green inverted Limited controls
Add/Manage Your Devices icon check green inverted Limited controls
Restrict File Sharing icon check green inverted Limited controls

 

The competitive data presented on this page was collected as of June 2025, based on information available at learn.microsoft.com. This information may change or be updated without prior notice. Wire does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information provided.

What our customers say about us...

"When colleagues saw how easy it was to chat, share files, or reach someone instantly — whether on a phone or in the browser — it clicked. Suddenly everyone wanted to use Wire."

1758002419396
Kevin Wolf-Küchler,
Chief Executive Officer Dr. Georg Haar Foundation

"Wire is an important, powerful, and modern communication tool for the Federal Government."



Praesidentin
Claudia Plattner, President German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)

"Whether it’s a store employee or a team at headquarters, anyone can use it, securely and easily."



1759760837690
Joshua Roach,
Head of Sovereign Communication Schwarz Digits
Try now

Exploring secure alternatives to Microsoft Teams?

Discover why 1,800+ organizations use Wire for secure, encrypted collaboration. Built for privacy, compliance, and control — with certified protection beyond what Teams offers.

Contact Sales Try Wire Now