Self-Hosted Telegram Alternatives

Telegram 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, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Telegram 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 Telegram are Wire, Matrix, SimpleX Chat and Zulip.

filter to find the best alternatives

Telegram alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps but may also be Instant Messengers or Video Calling Apps. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Telegram.
Telegram iconTelegram
  2045
  • ...

Experience instant messaging with remarkable speed and robust security. Join massive group chats or channels. Enjoy free and advanced features.

More about Telegram
More about Telegram
Telegram alternatives page was last updated Apr 4, 2025
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
Alternatives
  1. Element icon

    Element

     711 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    303 Element alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    Video calls for desktop and mobile

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Clean design

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Decentralized
    3.  Federated
    4.  Team Collaboration
    5.  Encrypted Chat
    6.  Video Calling
    7.  Matrix Protocol
    8.  Voice Chat
    9.  Direct Messaging
    10.  Federation
    11.  Cloud Hosting
    12.  Cross-Platform

    Element VS Telegram

     
    Comments about Element as an Alternative to Telegram
    Comment summary: Element is praised for its decentralization and privacy features, as well as strong encryption and versatility provided by the Matrix protocol. However, users note Element's lower user base compared to more popular platforms like Telegram, which limits its appeal despite its potential. Some also criticize its less intuitive UI and occasional encryption issues, suggesting it needs more development to become widely popular.
    Top Positive Comment
    Sam Lander
    May 30, 2023
    1

    Element is a good privacy chat that you can host yourself. However, not many people use it compared to Signal or Telegram.

    Most Recent Comment
    calkesh
    Negative •May 13, 2022
    -3

    Element is severely lacking in uptake. It could be the best messenger in the world (and may well be) but ultimately, if I can't talk to my friends on there, there's no incentive for me to use it.

    FiTekno
    Positive •Mar 18, 2022
    0

    I like this because of fact its purpose is to be decentralized. however time shows as knowledge is needed to bridges be made from other platforms.

    Show more comments
    3 of 12 comments
    Telegram Icon
    Element icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Element is a great Telegram alternative.

    • Element is the most popular Web-based, Android Tablet & Self-Hosted alternative to Telegram.

    • Element is Freemium and Open SourceTelegram is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Element is Decentralized and Privacy focusedTelegram is not according to our users
  2. Wire icon

    Wire

     307 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    281 Wire alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Wire screenshot 1
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Security-focused
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Video Calling
    3.  Encrypted Chat
    4.  VoiP Calls
    5.  Encrypted calls
    6.  Screen Sharing
    7.  Multiple Account support
    8.  WebRTC
    9.  Secure File Sharing
    10.  Voice Chat
    11.  Voice messages

    Wire VS Telegram

     
    Comments about Wire as an Alternative to Telegram
    Top Positive Comment
    cityroler
    Apr 28, 2017
    10

    always End-to-End encrypted; servers in the EU; high quality audio and video calls;

    Most Recent Comment
    gnudesign
    Positive •Sep 9, 2020
    0

    Privacy and security focused, lot of features but way behind Telegram's user experience design.

    Guest
    Positive •Jul 16, 2018
    0

    It is fully open source instead Telegram (server and client).

    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    Telegram Icon
    Wire icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Wire is a great Telegram alternative.

    • Wire is the most popular SaaS alternative to Telegram.

    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceTelegram is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Wire is Security-focused and Privacy focusedTelegram is not according to our users
  4. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     353 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    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.

    162 Matrix alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    Main Page

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Support for Themes
    4.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  End-to-End Encryption
    3.  Federation
    4.  Team Collaboration
    5.  Distributed
    6.  Spaces
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  VoiP Calls
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Multiple Account support
    12.  Support for @mentions

    Matrix VS Telegram

     
    Comments about Matrix as an Alternative to Telegram
    LeSnake
    Negative •Jun 24, 2021
    10

    Matrix is a protocol used by i.e. Element, not a messenger iself

    Telegram Icon
    Matrix icon

    • Most users think Matrix is a great Telegram alternative.

    • Matrix is Free and Open SourceTelegram is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Matrix is Decentralized, Privacy focused and LightweightTelegram is not according to our users
  5. SimpleX Chat icon

    SimpleX Chat

     68 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    SimpleX - the most private and secure chat and applications platform - now with double ratchet E2E encryption! Built on Haskell with Love and Coffee.

    59 SimpleX Chat alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 1
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 2
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Encrypted Chat
    2.  End-to-End Encryption
    3.  Decentralized
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Multiple Account support
    7.  Self Destructing Messages
    8.  Video Calling
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Voice messages
    11.  VoiP Calls
    12.  No Tracking

    SimpleX Chat VS Telegram

     
  6. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     204 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    230 Zulip alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    Zulip screenshot 1

    Top Zulip Features

    1.  Threaded Conversations
    2.  Team Collaboration
    3.  Support for Hotkeys
    4.  Community-based
    5.  Support for MarkDown
    6.  Syntax Highlighting
    7.  Chat Bot
    8.  Secure Chat
    9.  Third party integrations
    10.  Integrated File Sharing
    11. GitHub icon  GitHub Integration
    12.  Integrated Search

    Zulip VS Telegram

     
  7. Snikket icon

    Snikket

     9 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Snikket is an ambitious project to build a new kind of XMPP-based messaging platform.

    31 Snikket alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Docker
    Snikket screenshot 1
    Snikket screenshot 2
    Snikket screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  End-to-End Encryption
    3.  Multiple Account support
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Decentralized
    7.  VoiP Calls
    8.  Desktop Sharing
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Public groups chat
    11.  Supports XMPP
    12.  Xmpp

    Snikket VS Telegram

     
  9. Mirotalk icon

    Mirotalk

     15 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Powered by WebRTC, Real-time video call, chat room and screen sharing entirely browser based.

    59 Mirotalk alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker Hub
    • YunoHost
    Chat window

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Screen Sharing
    2.  Desktop Sharing
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  End-to-End Encryption
    5.  Real time collaboration
    6.  VoiP Calls
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Multiple Account support
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Voice Chat

    Mirotalk VS Telegram

     
7 of 27 Telegram alternatives