Self-Hosted Signal Alternatives

Signal is not available as a self-hosted solution but there are plenty of alternatives for power users and business that want to host a solution on-premise. The best Self-Hosted alternative is Element. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Element or Wire. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Signal and many of them are available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted alternatives to Signal are SimpleX Chat, Jitsi Meet, Zulip and Armada.

filter to find the best alternatives

Signal alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Instant Messengers or Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include EU, Encrypted Chat, Apple Watch, Windows Phone, Instant Messaging, Android Tablet and Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Signal.

More about Signal

Get a badge for your siteSignal alternatives page was last updated Sep 2, 2026

Element
840 likes
Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.
354 Element alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Matrix.org
Flathub
F-Droid
Cloudron
OpenAPK
United Kingdom
+3
Good alternative?Is Element a good alternative to Signal?

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4comments
Element vs Signal Comments
Positive comment by LinuxDoge · Dec 5, 2022
No 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.
Positive comment by CatarinaTeles · Nov 20, 2020
Decentralization and promotes home-servers
Positive comment by Guest · Nov 21, 2025
It offers encrypted communication with a bonus of decentralized infrastructure.
3 of 4 comments
Element is Free Personal and Open SourceSignal is Free and Open Source
Element is DecentralizedSignal is not according to our users
Wire
333 likes
Secure communication platform featuring encrypted chats and calls, file and media sharing, self-deleting messages, device verification, group collaboration, and customizable settings. Supports use across multiple devices with no phone number required for access.
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Flathub
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Switzerland
Good alternative?Is Wire a good alternative to Signal?

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2comments
Wire vs Signal Comments
Positive comment by jamiegray · Jun 12, 2019
Beautiful user interface, recommended by security researchers, open source
Positive comment by Guest · May 8, 2019
Works 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
2 of 2 comments
Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceSignal is Free and Open Source
Matrix
419 likes
Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.
199 Matrix alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
WebRTC
Python
JavaScript
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
Java
Perl
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Matrix a good alternative to Signal?

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4comments
Matrix vs Signal Comments
Negative comment by cadetdc1t8x · Dec 14, 2020
Matrix is a protocol that Element uses. Matrix does not replace the functionality that element offers
Negative comment by James Browne · Jun 8, 2022
Its 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.
Negative comment by Guest · Nov 21, 2025
Matrix is only a protocol, doesn't have a default messaging app.
3 of 4 comments
Matrix is Free and Open SourceSignal is also Free and Open Source
Matrix is DecentralizedSignal is not according to our users
SimpleX Chat
115 likes
Open-source messaging platform enabling private, identifier-free chats, encrypted group discussions, file and media sharing, plus audio and video calls. Employs double-ratchet protocol, stores user data on-device, protects metadata, and lets users self-host relay servers.
85 SimpleX Chat alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
Flathub
F-Droid
Flatpak
OpenAPK
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is SimpleX Chat a good alternative to Signal?

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1comment
SimpleX Chat vs Signal Comments
Positive comment by cricky · Nov 30, 2024
SimpleX provides a similar experience to Signal with enhanced privacy
1 of 1 comments
SimpleX Chat is Free and Open SourceSignal is also Free and Open Source
SimpleX Chat is DecentralizedSignal is not according to our users
Jitsi Meet
292 likes
Open-source video conferencing platform with encryption by default, up to 75 participants, live group chat, HD audio, screen and document sharing, Etherpad editing, mobile and browser support, custom deployment options, privacy-first features, and community-driven development.
179 Jitsi Meet alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple Watch
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Jitsi Meet a good alternative to Signal?

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2comments
Jitsi Meet vs Signal Comments
Negative comment by RemovedUser · Feb 8, 2025
Jitsi is more focused, if not completely, on the video calling functionality. Signal is primarily for messaging. This is not a good alternative for Signal, but only for its video calls.
Positive comment by saviour-simple · Oct 15, 2024
signal desktop should not be used due to massive vulnerabilities existing since 2018
2 of 2 comments
Jitsi Meet is Free and Open SourceSignal is also Free and Open Source
Jitsi Meet is a Video Calling Signal is an Instant Messenger
Zulip
275 likes
Threaded group conversations combine live and asynchronous messaging, separating topics for organized collaboration, supporting open-source, cloud, and self-hosted deployments, secure communication with encryption, and multi-platform access for diverse teams.
252 Zulip alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is Zulip a good alternative to Signal?

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1comment
Zulip vs Signal Comments
Positive comment by PlaidRadish · Oct 31, 2025
Zulip is the only other open source, secure option in the list of alternatives on this site.
1 of 1 comments
Zulip is Free Personal and Open SourceSignal is Free and Open Source
Armada
14 likes
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted chat supporting decentralized, serverless communities and Concord. Features self-hosting, cryptographic login, encrypted text channels, threads, live voice and video rooms, compatibility with Nostr and other protocols, custom emojis, and GIFs.
25 Armada alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Encrypted Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Armada a good alternative to Signal?
Nextcloud Talk
35 likes
Self-hosted communication platform with secure audio, video, chat, web conferencing, screensharing, advanced encryption, and metadata privacy, running on user-controlled servers, supporting web and mobile apps, and eliminating third-party data exposure.
121 Nextcloud Talk alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Nextcloud
F-Droid
Flatpak
Chocolatey
Windows
Mac
Linux
Homebrew
Germany
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Nextcloud Talk a good alternative to Signal?
Snikket
9 likes
Snikket is an ambitious project to build a new kind of XMPP-based messaging platform.
41 Snikket alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
Docker
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Snikket a good alternative to Signal?
Conduit Chat Server
6 likes
Conduit is a simple, fast and reliable chat server powered by Matrix. Conduit is an alternative to Synapse and tries to be lightweight and easy to install, but it is still in development.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application type
Group Chat
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Raspberry Pi
Linux
Debian
Nix Package Manager
Docker
Docker Hub
Good alternative?Is Conduit Chat Server a good alternative to Signal?
Tinode
9 likes
Fully open source instant messaging server and clients. No proprietary components or non-free dependencies. Backend in pure Go (GPL 3.0), with a command-line administration tool in python + gRPC. Clients for Android, iPhone, and Web - ReactJS (all licensed under Apache 2.0).
161 Tinode alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is Tinode a good alternative to Signal?
Colibri Social
5 likes
Colibri is an open source chat platform built on the AT protocol for communities big and small. It gives you the ability to create communities, manage members, and communicate through text, voice, and forum channels, all while maintaining true ownership of your data.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Docker
Germany
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Colibri Social a good alternative to Signal?

12 of 27 Signal alternatives

Self-Hosted Signal Alternatives

Alternatives list

Element

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Wire

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Matrix

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SimpleX Chat

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Jitsi Meet

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Zulip

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Armada

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Nextcloud Talk

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Snikket

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Conduit Chat Server

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Tinode

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Colibri Social

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