Viber
Viber is a Rakuten-owned consumer messaging and VoIP calling app with ~200 million monthly active users, offering free end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice/video calls, Communities, and premium subscriptions (Viber Plus, Viber Out, eSIM) plus B2B APIs for business messaging and payments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLimassol, Cyprus
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Viber does
Viber is a consumer messaging and VoIP calling platform operated by Viber Media S.à r.l., a Luxembourg-incorporated, Rakuten Group-owned entity headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, with approximately 200 million monthly active users worldwide. The core product is a free, end-to-end encrypted messaging and calling application available across Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, Linux, and Huawei AppGallery, offering one-on-one and group voice/video calls, messaging, stickers/GIFs, Viber Communities for topic-based social engagement, Viber Channels for broadcast updates, and 100% chat synchronization across linked devices. The technical foundation combines VoIP with on-device encryption keys (since Viber 6.0 in 2016), multi-device sync, AR Lenses via Snap's TrueDepth API, biometric facial verification for dating profiles, and AI-powered features including message summaries, polish/instant answers, and chatbot assistants.
The company monetizes through a diversified freemium model: (1) advertising via Google Ad Manager, Meta Audience Network, Criteo, Amazon Publisher Services, and the UID2 framework; (2) recurring subscriptions including Viber Plus (ad-free/privacy tier), Viber Out (international calling credits), and Viber eSIM (digital mobile data); (3) business accounts and a B2B API powering chatbots, Google Business Profile integration, carousel/list messages, and Dexatel-distributed bank communication solutions in markets like Armenia; and (4) transaction fees on Chatbot Payments (Apple Pay/Google Pay), wallet/IBAN/SWIFT transfers, and utility bill payments through licensed partners. The go-to-market is product-led and consumer-first, with community-led growth via Viber Communities and channel partners extending B2B reach. As a Rakuten subsidiary, Viber is integrated into a broader ecosystem spanning Rakuten Viki, Kobo, Travel, Marketing, Insight, and TV, and operates under Rakuten Group Binding Corporate Rules for international data transfers.
Viber firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Viber
- Legal name
- Viber Media S.à r.l.
- Website
- https://viber.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Viber is a Rakuten-owned consumer messaging and VoIP calling app with ~200 million monthly active users, offering free end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice/video calls, Communities, and premium subscriptions (Viber Plus, Viber Out, eSIM) plus B2B APIs for business messaging and payments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Viber industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Messaging and VoIP Communications Software
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)
- SIC
- Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Voice Security, Fraud Prevention & Authentication (STIR/SHAKEN, anti-spam) (HDAIAHAL)
Keywords
Where Viber is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Limassol
- HQ country
- Cyprus
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Viber business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Advertising: Viber displays ads and offers within its services using personalized advertising powered by data collected through cookies, tracking technologies, and user activity. The company participates in Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) framework and uses various third-party advertising partners for targeting and measurement.
- Premium Subscriptions (Viber Plus, Viber Out, Viber eSIM): Paid premium services including Viber Out for calling non-Viber users, Viber Plus for enhanced privacy features (no ads, invisible mode, deleting messages without trace), and Viber eSIM for mobile data plans.
- Business Accounts: Business accounts and chat extensions allow businesses to communicate with customers, including features like business profiles with Google Business Profile integration, carousel messages, and list messages.
- Payment Services: Viber payment services enable money transfers, utility bill payments, and chatbot payments with transaction and wallet-related information processing. Fees may apply for transactions and transfers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic messaging and calling app with end-to-end encryption |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Viber product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Viber is a free, cross-platform messaging and calling application offering voice and video calls, group chats, stickers/GIFs, and Communities with end-to-end encryption across Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, and Linux. The platform is supplemented by premium add-ons including Viber Out (paid international calling to non-Viber numbers), Viber Plus (ad-free subscription with privacy features), Viber Business (verified business accounts and APIs for enterprise customer engagement), Viber Dating (AI-matched dating with biometric verification), and Viber eSIM (digital cellular plans). Revenue is generated primarily through advertising on the free tier and subscription fees from premium services.
Product overview
Viber is a unified communications platform offering a free core messaging and calling application with end-to-end encryption, supplemented by premium add-ons including Viber Out (international calling credits), Viber Plus (ad-free/privacy subscription), Viber Business (business accounts with Google integration), Viber Dating (AI-powered matching service with biometric verification), Viber Chatbot Payments (in-app payment processing via Apple Pay/Google Pay), Viber eSIM (digital SIM provisioning), Viber Lenses (Snap-powered AR filters), and Viber Caller ID (caller identification). The platform also includes community features like Viber Communities and Channels for group and broadcast communications. Available across Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, and Linux.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Viber Out: Viber's calling service that allows users to make calls to non-Viber phone numbers worldwide.
- Viber Communities
- Viber Dating
- Viber Business
Products and services
- Viber Messaging App Free, cross-platform messaging and calling application offering voice and video calls, group chats, group video/voice calls, stickers, GIFs, and Communities with end-to-end encryption across Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, and Linux. Targets individual consumers for personal communication.
- Viber Out International calling service allowing Viber users to call any phone number (mobile or landline) worldwide, including non-Viber users, via purchased credits or subscription plans.
- Viber Business Enterprise communication solution enabling verified business accounts, automated customer messaging, chat extensions, carousel/list messages, and integration with Google Business Profile for brands and financial institutions.
- Viber Communities Public, topic-based social groups within Viber where users join conversations, share content, and discover communities aligned with shared interests.
- Viber Plus Premium subscription offering an ad-free experience plus enhanced privacy features including invisible mode and the ability to delete sent messages without leaving a trace.
- Viber Dating In-app dating service with profile creation, AI-based automatic matching, location-based matching, biometric (facial recognition) profile verification, and in-chat interactions with potential matches.
- Viber Chatbot Payments Payment capability within Viber chatbots enabling users to make purchases and complete transactions using Apple Pay or Google Pay during conversational commerce flows.
- Viber eSIM Digital eSIM service allowing users to activate cellular data plans in-app through partnered mobile network providers for connectivity in supported regions.
- Viber Lenses Augmented reality photo and video filters (face lenses) powered by Snap technology, with TrueDepth API support on iOS for enhanced AR effects during video calls and camera capture.
- Viber Channels Broadcast channels that allow creators and brands to push updates, media, and announcements to a subscriber audience.
Companies that use Viber
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Viber technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration22 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Viber partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DexatelcoreViber and Dexatel partnered to provide enhanced communication solutions for banks in Armenia. The partnership offers a unified API platform integrating Viber alongside WhatsApp, SMS, and Telegram channels. Banks can use carousel messages, list messages, and secure OTP/transaction notifications to improve customer engagement and operational efficiency. Dexatel positions this as a strategic step toward full digitalization of customer communications in Armenia's banking sector, with a 30-day free trial available for businesses.
- Rakuten Group Inc.coreViber is a subsidiary of Rakuten Group Inc., a major Japanese e-commerce and internet company. Viber shares data with Rakuten corporate family for joint content, services, registration, analytics, customer support, and fraud detection purposes. Viber operates under Rakuten Group Binding Corporate Rules for international data transfers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Viber competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WhatsApp: Meta-owned encrypted messaging app with ~3B MAU. Direct, category-defining competitor in free messaging/calling with end-to-end encryption and the same network-effect business model.
- Telegram: Cloud-based messaging app with 800M+ users, strong presence in Eastern Europe/CIS and broadcast channels. Direct competitor on cross-border messaging, Communities vs Viber Communities, and premium subscriptions.
- Signal: Privacy-first messaging app (40-100M users) competing in the same end-to-end encrypted consumer messaging category where Viber advertises its privacy credentials.
- Messenger (Meta): Meta's standalone messaging app tightly integrated with Facebook/Instagram — competes for the same messaging ad inventory and consumer attention.
- LINE: Japan/Asia-headquartered messaging app owned by LY Corporation (SoftBank-affiliated), dominant in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand — comparable freemium messaging + payments + sticker monetization model.
Broad incumbents
- WeChat: Tencent's super-app combining messaging, payments, and mini-programs. Comparable embedded-finance-in-messaging roadmap and global user base, though largely regional.
- Skype: Microsoft-owned VoIP/messaging app — same core VoIP+calls+chat functionality as Viber, with longer history in international calling comparable to Viber Out.
- Vonage: Communications Platform-as-a-Service provider (now part of Ericsson) competing in unified communications APIs, messaging APIs, and business communications — adjacent to Viber for Business.
Regional players
- KakaoTalk: Korea-dominant messaging platform with payments and taxi/mobility integrations; same OTT messaging-plus-fintech pattern in a different geography.
Emerging players
- Discord: Community-first messaging app with channels/servers and voice chat — comparable to Viber Communities and Channels in product concept; competes for community-engaged user time.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Viber social profiles
Digital presenceViber compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Viber financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Viber leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Viber funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Viber M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Viber
What does Viber do?
Viber is a free, cross-platform messaging and calling application offering voice and video calls, group chats, stickers/GIFs, and Communities with end-to-end encryption across Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, and Linux. The platform is supplemented by premium add-ons including Viber Out (paid international calling to non-Viber numbers), Viber Plus (ad-free subscription with privacy features), Viber Business (verified business accounts and APIs for enterprise customer engagement), Viber Dating (AI-matched dating with biometric verification), and Viber eSIM (digital cellular plans). Revenue is generated primarily through advertising on the free tier and subscription fees from premium services.
Is Viber a public or private company?
Viber is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Viber founded?
Viber was founded in 2010. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Viber based?
Viber is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, in the Europe region.
How does Viber make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are premium Subscriptions (Viber Plus, Viber Out, Viber eSIM), business Accounts and payment Services.
Who are Viber's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Messenger (Meta) and LINE. Broad incumbents are WeChat, Skype and Vonage. KakaoTalk is listed as a regional player. Discord is listed as an emerging player.
Does Viber have an API?
Yes. Viber provides an API for business accounts, enabling businesses to create accounts, manage templates, and access APIs for customer communication. The API is accessible via https://vb.me/ContactUs for inquiries. Viber also integrates with Google Maps API and Google Business Profile API for location-based features and business account services. Developer documentation is at vb.me/ContactUs.
What industry is Viber in?
Viber's product category is Consumer Messaging and VoIP Communications Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAL, Voice Security, Fraud Prevention & Authentication (STIR/SHAKEN, anti-spam). Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4822.