Wire
Pending verificationSecure 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 likely operates under GDPR, though EU Alts has not yet independently verified its ownership and hosting facts, so its exposure to the US CLOUD Act isn't confirmed yet — see the Details section below for what's known so far.
Why European teams pick Wire
Teams in Europe consider Wire when they want a collaboration provider that bills in EUR and keeps customer data under Switzerland law, operating since 2012. Its EU headquarters is a good sign compared with well-known US incumbents, but EU Alts hasn't yet verified Wire's ownership and hosting facts — check back once verification is complete.
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
- Ownership
- Owned by Wire Group Holdings GmbH (Berlin, Germany) (Germany)
- Hosting
- Germany, Ireland (reported server locations; underlying cloud/infra provider not disclosed)
Categories
Other EU startups like Wire
- TrustYourWebsite Netherlands — Automated GDPR, cookie-consent and accessibility scanner for EU and UK small business websites. Free risk score in minutes.
- Livestorm ✓ Verified by EU AltsFrance — Browser-based webinar and virtual event platform — a French alternative to Zoom Webinars.
- Whereby ✓ Verified by EU AltsNorway — Browser-based video meetings with no downloads required — a Norwegian alternative to Zoom.
- Element United Kingdom — Secure, decentralised messaging built on Matrix — a UK alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
- Cryptomator ✓ Verified by EU AltsGermany — Client-side encryption for your cloud files — a German open-source alternative to Boxcryptor.
- Padloc Germany — Minimalist, open-source password manager — a German alternative to 1Password.
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 likely 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). EU Alts has not yet independently verified Wire's ownership structure or hosting location, so we can't yet confirm its exposure to the US CLOUD Act the way we can for verified entries.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to Wire?
Most teams considering a move from well-known US incumbents to Wire are drawn to its EU headquarters and collaboration workflow fit. EU Alts hasn't yet verified Wire's ownership and hosting facts, so treat any CLOUD Act or Schrems II conclusions as provisional until verification is complete. Plan a migration in stages regardless: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Wire with a small team, then move the rest once integration coverage 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.