Wire
Secure end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration — a European alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Overview
Wire is a Zug, Switzerland-based European company building collaboration, messaging, and security software since 2012. As an EU-headquartered provider, Wire operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to well-known US incumbents for European teams.
Why European teams pick Wire
Teams in Europe pick Wire when they want a collaboration provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Switzerland law, operating since 2012. Compared with well-known US incumbents, Wire avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU collaboration tools or browse other startups from Switzerland.
About
Wire is a Swiss-German end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration platform founded in 2012 by former Skype engineers. It provides encrypted messaging, voice calls, video calls, file sharing, and screen sharing for both consumer and enterprise use. Wire for Enterprise is self-hostable on EU infrastructure and aimed at organisations in government, defence, healthcare, and finance that require classified or sensitive communications. Wire servers store no message content. Wire is used by NATO agencies, European defence ministries, and enterprise organisations that need sovereign messaging.
Details
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Zug, Switzerland
Categories
Other EU startups like Wire
- LivestormFrance — Browser-based webinar and virtual event platform — a French alternative to Zoom Webinars.
- WherebyNorway — Browser-based video meetings with no downloads required — a Norwegian alternative to Zoom.
- ElementUnited Kingdom — Secure, decentralised messaging built on Matrix — a UK alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
- CryptomatorGermany — Client-side encryption for your cloud files — a German open-source alternative to Boxcryptor.
- PadlocGermany — Minimalist, open-source password manager — a German alternative to 1Password.
- PassboltLuxembourg — Open-source team password manager — a Luxembourg alternative to 1Password Teams.
Frequently asked questions
What is Wire?
Wire is a Swiss-German end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration platform founded in 2012 by former Skype engineers. It provides encrypted messaging, voice calls, video calls, file sharing, and screen sharing for both consumer and enterprise use. Wire for Enterprise is self-hostable on EU infrastructure and aimed at organisations in government, defence, healthcare, and finance that require classified or sensitive communications. Wire servers store no message content. Wire is used by NATO agencies, European defence ministries, and enterprise organisations that need sovereign messaging.
What does Wire do?
Wire is secure end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration — a european alternative to slack and microsoft teams. It is listed under collaboration, messaging, and security on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European collaboration tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is Wire a good European collaboration alternative?
Wire is a fit for European businesses evaluating collaboration options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with messaging and security use cases.
Is Wire GDPR compliant?
Wire is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Switzerland's data protection authority, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel Wire to disclose customer data the way they can with well-known US incumbents. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to Wire?
Most teams move to Wire from well-known US incumbents because they want EU data residency without giving up the core collaboration workflow. Wire's Switzerland base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Wire with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is Wire based?
Wire is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. The company was founded in 2012. Its main website is https://wire.com.