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.

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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, Android, Windows, Linux, Android + Free and Open Source. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Telegram.
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Alternatives list

  1. Speek! icon
     12 likes

    Speek! 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

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
     
  2. Nekogram icon
     5 likes

    Nekogram is an open-source third-party Telegram client with not many but useful mods.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Android
    • GitHub
     
  3. Cwtch icon
     11 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
     
  4. Quaternion icon
     4 likes

    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...

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  5. 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

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Java Mobile
     
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    1
    Off-the-Record Messaging vs Telegram Comments
    arndtadler
    Negative
    1

    OTR is a chat protocol and not a specific app.

    • Off-the-Record Messaging is Free and Open SourceTelegram is Freemium and Proprietary
  6. 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.

    21 Vector Private Messaging alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
  7. nheko icon
     5 likes

    Matrix-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.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
     
  8. Mercurygram icon
     4 likes

    Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
     
  9. KryptEY icon
     9 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
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