telegram:

- very good android, ios, and desktop open-source apps they keep properly up to date (also a web client)
- stickers, emojos, gifs (and with better compression)
- useful bots (and inline bots)
- groups and good admin tools
- nicely including voice or video in chats
- now even favorites

- requires a phone number (not public)
- is not very secure (but above average)
- is centralized and not entirely open (they haven't been evil for now)

@CobaltVelvet
- is owned by a russian billionaire who thinks "Che Guevara and Steve Jobs" are his biggest influences, and thinks throwing money from his office window into the street is a cool social experiment
- has a proven track record of collaborating with state police