Wire

End-to-end encrypted messaging and video calling platform for businesses, headquartered in Berlin.

📍 Germany 🇩🇪, Berlin

Product overview

Wire is an encrypted communication platform headquartered in Berlin, with a subsidiary in Zug, Switzerland. Founded in 2014 with backing from Skype co-founder Janus Friis, it covers messaging, voice and video calls for up to 150 participants, file sharing, and screen sharing. All communications are end-to-end encrypted using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, an IETF standard that Wire co-developed. The company focuses on regulated industries, government agencies, and organizations handling classified information. More than 1,800 organizations use Wire, including the Schwarz Group (parent company of Lidl and Kaufland) and several G7 governments. Wire offers three tiers: a free plan for teams of up to five people, a paid plan for small and mid-sized teams starting at 7.45 euros per user per month, and a custom enterprise plan. Enterprise features include federation across organizations, on-premises deployment, and advanced compliance controls. The client applications are open source. Wire states that its cloud hosting operates within the European Union under EU law. The holding company briefly moved to Delaware in 2019 but returned to Germany in 2020. Benjamin Schilz was appointed CEO in 2024. KEY FEATURES: - End-to-end encryption using the MLS protocol for all messages, calls, and files - Video conferencing for up to 150 participants with screen sharing - Self-deleting messages and guest rooms for external collaboration - Open source clients with on-premises, private cloud, or managed cloud deployment - ID Shield for cryptographic verification of participant identities