Cwtch - (a Welsh word roughly translating to “a hug that creates a safe place”) is a decentralized, privacy-preserving, multi-party messaging protocol that can be used to build metadata resistant applications.
Canada
Open Source Telegram Alternatives
The best open source alternative to Telegram is Signal. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Telegram and loads of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Telegram are Element, Tox, Wire and Matrix.
filter to find the best alternatives
Telegram alternatives are mainly Instant Messengers, but if you're looking for Group Chat Apps or Encrypted Chat Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, Mac, Windows, Android, Linux, Windows + Free and Kindle Fire. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Telegram.
Alternatives list
29 Nicegram alternativesOpen-source, privacy-first, with a non-custodial multichain wallet, a built-in AI assistant and Agent Marketplace, escrow payments, and a trusted reputation — all inside your chats.
Cost / License
- Freemium
- Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application types
Platforms
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
- Mac
+3
27 nheko alternativesMatrix-focused desktop chat client supporting secure end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calling, file sharing, emoji, room and community management, multi-theme interface, presence/status, notifications, profiles, and plugin integration for Unix.
+3
42 Nerimity alternativesOpen-source chat platform providing community-focused group messaging, video calls, profile customization with animated avatars, custom emojis, tags, post creation, discovery of communities, and full source code access on GitHub. Entirely donation-funded.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application types
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- Android Tablet
- Self-Hosted
![Profile Interface [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/309x197/jpeg/nerimity_993222_full.png)
![Messages View [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/309x197/jpeg/nerimity_281418_full.png)
![Server Discovery [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/309x197/jpeg/nerimity_282508_full.png)
+2![Server Settings [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/309x197/jpeg/nerimity_628028_full.png)
88 Speek! alternativesSpeek! is the first messenger that is anonymous and censorship-resistant by design. Speek! messenger encrypts all messages and is secure, private and decentralized.
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Application types
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
+1
+1
Decentralized chat platform built on the nostr protocol with support for multi-group communities, event calendars, threads, private messaging, web of trust, customizable access controls, monetization via zaps, full privacy, and white-label options for branding.
+3
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Application types
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
+2
Quaternion is a cross-platform Qt5-based desktop IM client for Matrix, a reference desktop application using libQMatrixClient. Source code, issue tracker, roadmap etc. can be found at GitHub. Releases (with links to cross-platform source code archives, as well as binaries for...
Vector encompasses the ideals of freedom through free and open-source technology, using a "Privacy by Principle" approach. This means that privacy is not a feature or add-on, but the core foundation that Vector is built upon, which is granted and accessible to everyone.
Off-the-Record (OTR) Messaging allows you to have private conversations over any instant messaging (MSN,Gtalk, Facebook and so on) by providing encryption, authentication, deniability, perfect forward...
Cost / License
- Free
- Open Source
Application types
Alerts
- Discontinued
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Java Mobile
Android keyboard for secure E2EE communication through the signal protocol in any messenger. Communicate securely and independent, regardless of the legal situation or whether messengers use E2EE.
+7
Lithuania
EU
United Kingdom![Profile Interface [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/avif/nerimity_993222_full.png)
![Messages View [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/avif/nerimity_281418_full.png)
![Server Discovery [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/avif/nerimity_282508_full.png)
![Server Settings [PC - 2025]](https://img.alternativeto.net/s/618x394/avif/nerimity_628028_full.png)
United States
Estonia
Switzerland
OTR is a chat protocol and not a specific app.