Telegram Desktop vs Signal

Telegram Desktop: what it's good at

Telegram Desktop is a full-featured messaging client with cloud sync across all your devices, very generous file size limits, large group channels and optional end-to-end encrypted secret chats.

• Cloud sync across unlimited devices
• Very large file transfer limits
• Channels and large group support
• Optional end-to-end encrypted secret chats

Signal: what it's good at

Signal provides end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls by default, collects essentially no metadata, and is run by a non-profit foundation. Its encryption protocol is the one other messengers license.

• End-to-end encryption on by default
• Minimal metadata collection
• Encrypted voice and video calls
• Run by a non-profit, funded by donations

Which should you choose?

Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.

Both run on Windows, macOS, Linux. Only Signal supports Android, iOS. Both are open source, so neither locks you in.

We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Telegram Desktop better than Signal?

Neither is universally better. Telegram Desktop fast cloud-synced messaging with very large file transfers, while Signal the privacy benchmark for encrypted messaging. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.

Are both really free?

Telegram Desktop is open source and Signal is open source. Both can be downloaded without paying.

Can I install both?

Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.