The Best Signal AlternativesTop Instant Messengers & Encrypted Chat Apps like Signal
Signal is described as 'Messaging app with an unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all the features expected from a modern IM app. Signal has received a lot of praise from all around the world for its security and privacy-respecting technologies' and is a leading instant messenger in the social & communications category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Signal for a variety of platforms, including Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Linux apps. The best Signal alternative is Element, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Signal are Tox, Session, Wire and Matrix.org.
Signal alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers but may also be Group Chat Apps or Encrypted Chat Apps. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Signal.- 276 Element alternatives
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Freemium • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- Matrix.org
- Flathub
- F-Droid
- Cloudron
Element is a secure collaboration and messaging app based on the Matrix protocol. It’s decentralised to deliver digital sovereignty, and based on an open standard for easy connections and interoperability. It is end-to-end encrypted by default.
- - Element is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to Signal.
- - Element is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Signal.
Element Features
- End-to-End Encryption
- Decentralized
- Privacy focused
- VoiP Calls
- Real time collaboration
- Dark Mode
- Cloud Sync
- No Tracking
- Support for MarkDown
- File Versioning
- DRM Free
- Ad-free
Comments about Element as a Alternative to Signal
LinuxDogeNo phone number. You can choose a good server, but communicate with all. You can run it over Tor. The app is easy to use but full of features, that Signal still dreams of. There are Apps for every platform, in every Form.
2CatarinaTelesDecentralization and promotes home-servers
6 - 196 Tox alternatives
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Video Calling App
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- F-Droid
With the rise of widespread government monitoring programs, Tox is an easy to use application that allows you to connect with friends and loved ones without anyone else listening in.
Tox Features
- Decentralized
- Privacy focused
- End-to-End Encryption
- No registration required
- Screen Sharing
- Lightweight
- No Tracking
- AES-256 Encryption
- Dark Mode
- VoiP Calls
Comments about Tox as a Alternative to Signal
naught101Tox is decentralised, so messages don't travel via a single server.
6iomezkTox is P2P, so you don't need to watch ads or pay for servers with your private data
1Schnatt_Appsimple, easy to use, no phone number required
0 - 57 Session alternatives
- Instant Messenger
- Group Chat App
- Encrypted Chat App
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- F-Droid
Session is the world's first open-source, decentralised private messenger to use industry-leading Signal Protocol encryption — without asking for your phone number.
Session Features
- Decentralized
- End-to-End Encryption
- Privacy focused
- Ad-free
- Dark Mode
- No Tracking
- VoiP Calls
- No registration required
Comments about Session as a Alternative to Signal
Open SourceSession doesn't require your phone number. Also decentralized - the big advantage.
3James BrowneIts super secure.. Its easy to use. Its a good alternative.
2Signal foundation has a major problem as Katherine Maher has a very very sorted past. I think that you shouldn't rely on centralized platforms like Signal for privacy.
0because dont ask me for phone number
0DawnI was having some issues that came up with Signal needing to be so connected to the phone number (not handy anyway) & Session has been able fill the niche perfectly. My only issue atm is that on my Windows 10 is sometimes pictures (like memes) send several times instead of once lol, but maybe that is only happening to me... (luckily I can delete the extra copies until that is worked out).
0 - 267 Wire alternatives
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Video Calling App
- Free Personal • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- F-Droid
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.
- - Wire is the most popular SaaS alternative to Signal.
Wire Features
- End-to-End Encryption
- VoiP Calls
- Screen Sharing
- Privacy focused
- Multiple Account support
Comments about Wire as a Alternative to Signal
jamiegrayBeautiful user interface, recommended by security researchers, open source
0Works fairly similarly, easy to use, very smooth for the most part, seems actually a little less buggy than signal at times.. I still prefer signal because of the fact that it's from openwhisper systems and I believe it to be the most secure of all the secure private messengers
1 - 141 Matrix.org alternatives
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Free • Open Source
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- WebRTC
- Python
- JavaScript
- Go (Programming Language)
- Cloudron
- Java
- Perl
Matrix defines a set of open APIs for decentralised communication, suitable for securely publishing, persisting and subscribing to data over a global open federation of servers with no single point of control.
Matrix.org Features
- Decentralized
- End-to-End Encryption
- Privacy focused
- Ad-free
- VoiP Calls
- No Tracking
- Multiple Account support
- Real time collaboration
Comments about Matrix.org as a Alternative to Signal
cadetdc1t8xMatrix is a protocol that Element uses. Matrix does not replace the functionality that element offers
4James BrowneIts NOT alternative t signal. It is great and I love the Matrix protocol but not a messenger. Its a protocol a messenger could use... those are two distinctly different things.
2 - 279 Telegram alternatives
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Encrypted Chat App
- Freemium • Proprietary
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- HUAWEI AppGallery
- Windows Phone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- Linux Mobile
- Android Wear
- PortableApps.com
- FreeBSD
Telegram is a messaging app created by former VK creators with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free. It is like SMS, but more powerful.
Telegram Features
- Lightweight
- Ad-free
- End-to-End Encryption
- Privacy focused
- Dark Mode
- VoiP Calls
- Multiple Account support
- IFTTT Integration
- Self Destructing Messages
- Portable
- Cloud Sync
- Two-factor Authentication
- Works Offline
- Support for Themes
Comments about Telegram as a Alternative to Signal
Daria IvaTelegram are more modern and popular massager, stickers function , chats , groups , channels are good. Telegram has better design. Telegram has the huge part member on phone. Signal more privacy , not practice
-2luciantonI like the stickers function
-2LinuxDogeYou literally need an Android emulator to have encrypted chats on desktop. Group chats and channels are always unencrypted, this is the shadiest messenger existing, apart from Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, TikTok Messenger, Snapchat, Twitter Messenger, and all the others maybe.
Telegram is bullshit, dont deal with it, only if its a replacement for Whatsapp. Go to Element or even Signal.
7evilmicrowizardLacking default E2E encryption. Also heavily favored by various kinds of financial spammers.
4Just as private in practice, far more user friendly, more features, very lightweight.
-8 - 134 Jitsi Meet alternatives
- Video Calling App
- Group Chat App
- Instant Messenger
- Free • Open Source
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Self-Hosted
- Apple Watch
- F-Droid
Go ahead, video chat with the whole team. In fact, invite everyone you know. Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free.
Jitsi Meet Features
- End-to-End Encryption
- Screen Sharing
- Ad-free
- No Tracking
- Privacy focused
- Lightweight