Signal vs. Telegram: Which encrypted messaging app wins?

(Image credit: Ascannio/Shutterstock)

Once WhatsApp began forcing users to share data with Facebook last year, there was a large exodus from the popular chat app with many users turning to other free messaging platforms to communicate instead. Signal and Telegram are two of the most popular alternatives and they are both featured on our list of the best encrypted messaging apps.

However, Signal and Telegram have several key differences and will likely benefit different types of users. Let’s see how they stack up against each other.

Signal vs. Telegram: Features compared

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Header Cell - Column 0	Signal	Telegram
Encryption	End-to-end by default using the Signal Protocol	Some end-to-end options using the MTProto 2.0 protocol
Data collected	None except phone number	Phone number, contacts, IP address
Messaging types	Individual, group, video, voice	Individual, group, channels, video, voice
Self-destruct messaging	Yes, for all chats	Yes, for Secret Chats only
Customization	Limited	Extensive
Cost	Free	Free

Signal vs. Telegram: Which is more secure?

If security is your main priority, then Signal is the obvious pick. For starters, all Signal messages are end-to-end encrypted by default which means that no one but you and the people you chat with can access your messages.

With Telegram on the other hand, only some of the service’s messages and voice calls have end-to-end encryption. The rest could potentially be visible to Telegram employees, law enforcement and others. We’ll go into more detail on the different message types below.

Signal’s open-source encryption protocol is available for anyone to see and examine and as a result, any security flaws can be found and fixed quickly. It’s also worth noting that its encryption is also used by WhatsApp.

For its encrypted Secret Chats, Telegram uses its own MTProto 2.0 protocol which is open source on the client side. Many security experts have stated that Telegram’s "homegrown encryption technology (opens in new tab)" has a limited track record compared to Signal's. However, the consensus seems to be that the latest version is more secure than MTProto 1.0 (opens in new tab) (PDF).

According to an academic research paper (opens in new tab) published in 2020, Telegram’s MTProto 2.0 protocol is fundamentally sound. Still, the paper added that “further investigation” is needed “in order to deem this protocol suite definitely secure”.

Signal also collects far less data on users than Telegram does. Signal generally only stores the date on which you created your account as well as the last time you connected. In contrast, Telegram’s metadata may include your IP address (which can give away your location) as well as who you are talking to and when. That matters when the authorities show up at Telegram’s facilities with a search warrant.

Although you can start Signal chats by typing in another person’s phone number, Telegram requires access to your contacts before you can message anyone. For those who are concerned about tech companies snooping on their private conversations, Signal once again proves to be the better choice.

While Signal is owned by a non-profit foundation, Telegram was founded by the Russian billionaires Pavel and Nikolai Durov who also created the country’s largest social network, VK. The brothers no longer live in Russia and even though their company is based in London, many of its central operations are in Dubai.

Signal vs. Telegram: Device support

Telegram has a slight edge in this category, with a Chrome browser extension (opens in new tab) and a fully web-based option (opens in new tab). Both Signal and Telegram are available on the following platforms:

iOS (Signal (opens in new tab), Telegram (opens in new tab))

MacOS (Signal (opens in new tab), Telegram (opens in new tab))

Android (Signal (opens in new tab), Telegram (opens in new tab))

Windows (Signal (opens in new tab), Telegram (opens in new tab))

Linux (Debian-based distros for Signal (opens in new tab), 32-bit (opens in new tab) and 64-bit (opens in new tab) versions for Telegram)

Signal vs. Telegram: Installation and ease of use

The installation process for both apps is relatively simple: Download the software for your preferred platform, register using your phone number, and enter the verification code received via SMS. (In some cases, Telegram will call you with the code instead.)

Both platforms require a first name to finalize your profile, but neither require that name to be your real name. You can use an alias or, with Signal, an emoji. You'll be asked whether you want to enable app permissions, such as access to your contacts.

Signal then requires you to create a PIN. This step is optional, but recommended, with Telegram and can be found under Settings > Privacy & Security > Passcode Lock.

Before you can enable a desktop version of either Signal or Telegram, you must set up your account via the mobile app. Signal has an in-app QR code for linking other devices. Telegram provides a similar QR code, but you can also use your phone number and an SMS verification code.

Until earlier this year, Signal required you to create a new account if you changed your phone number. It now permits you to port your account to a new number provided you're still using the same phone. (You can also move your account to a new phone (opens in new tab) that uses the same number as the old one, as long as you're not switching from Android to iOS or vice versa.)

Changing phone numbers in Telegram (opens in new tab) is a lot easier and can be done right within the app. Changing phones isn't a problem at all, as multiple devices can be logged into a single Telegram account (opens in new tab) as long as they use the same phone number. (But you'll want to keep your Telegram password a very close secret.)

Signal vs. Telegram: Features

Both apps are similar when it comes to chat options.

Individual messages: Signal's individual messages are encrypted end-to-end by default, while Telegram's basic one-on-one chats are not. If you want to protect your communications in Telegram from the company itself, you'll have to start a Secret Chat.

Group chats: Both platforms offer a group messaging option. Again, Signal's is end-to-end encrypted, while Telegram's is not. (There's no Secret Chat equivalent for groups.) Signal groups can include up to 1,000 users while Telegram allows up to 200,000 group members.

Voice and video calls: Both platforms have voice and video calling. Signal's encrypted calls can be made individually or contain up to 40 users in a group.

Telegram has end-to-end encrypted, one-on-one video calling as well as a voice-chat feature that allows large groups to hold conversations in which members can come and go. Telegram's group voice chats are encrypted from the client device (i.e., a phone or desktop) to the server, but not from one end to the other. This means that someone who has access to Telegram's servers can listen in.

Disappearing messages: Signal messages in any individual or group chat can be set to disappear within anywhere from five seconds to one week. Telegram has a similar self-destruct option that is no longer only for Secret Chats, but also for regular chats.

From there, the bonus privacy features differ slightly, and Signal has fewer of them. There's an image-blur tool that allows you to hide faces in photos and videos — handy if you're sending media from protests. There's also a screen-lock setting that requires your password or biometric access to open the app. (Telegram has one too.)

With Telegram, you can opt to delete payment or shipping information communicated in your chats, to unsend messages (which deletes them for both the sender and the recipient), and to self-destruct your account automatically if it goes unused for a set period of time.

Telegram also operates more like a social-media network with its Channels function and a bunch of other settings we'll get into below.

Channels allow users to broadcast messages — including text, photos, videos, files and podcasts — to an unlimited number of subscribers. The communication is one-way, like a radio station, and subscribers can't respond to channel messages. Channels can be public or private/invite-only.

Signal vs. Telegram: User experience

Telegram has a lot more options to customize your experience, so in that sense, it's the frontrunner in this category. There are a ton of settings you can adjust around font size and color themes; emojis and animations; and notifications.

The app will create playlists if you send multiple song files at once and launch them in its built-in media player. You can run polls and quizzes, edit photos and videos, and view other users who happen to be physically near you with People Nearby (not a privacy-friendly feature).

Signal is a much simpler app that focuses on sending basic text, media and voice messages securely, although it introduced animated stickers and added to its available emojis. Overall, Signal is easy to navigate and doesn't require a lot of customization to get the most out of your experience.

Signal vs. Telegram: Verdict

Ultimately, the choice between Signal and Telegram depends on your priorities. If security and encryption are at the top of your list, Signal is the best option no matter which other features you use.

If you want to be able to send encrypted messages only on occasion and make use of social-network-style features, then Telegram may be a better fit. Just keep in mind that you must actively select Telegram's Secret Chat option if you want your communications to be end-to-end encrypted.

Anthony Spadafora is the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. Before joining the team, he wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

Topics

Apps

Privacy

Security

10 Comments Comment from the forums

gbcox

Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.
Reply
nalexcastaneda

gbcox said:
Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.
I totally agree with you. Further more the encryption used by Signal which according to this article is the same used by WhatsApp was chosen by the US government so it is more likely to have security flaws and backdoors.
Reply
ash_0m

When sending media files, which app keeps the original; size, resolution, quality, etc.?
Reply
gbcox

ash_0m said:
When sending media files, which app keeps the original; size, resolution, quality, etc.?
I don't know of any messaging app that will keep the original size by default. I do know however that
whatever default compression used by Telegram is more than adequate to display on a phone or print out
on a printer. If you do want to send the original quality image, you simply send it as a file attachment. The
limit on file attachments in Telegram is 2Gb.
Telegram: https://telegram.org/blog/profile-videos-people-nearby-and-more

Signal, the limit on file attachments is 100Mb.

Telegram also has some additional editing capabilities and can group multiple photos into albums so the recipient
just gets 1 message with all the photos neatly displayed rather than multiple messages.
Reply
kinney

Signal wins for me as all users get encryption by default, the only way it should be. Unless you're using the big ticket messengers like WhatsApp, Skype, FB Messenger, or iMessage, no point in switching unless you're guaranteeing users end to end security. I have friends at the State Department and they will only chat over Signal. They're of course more worried about foreign adversaries than our own government, but they're concerned with our own government as well. As far as backdoors, for either Telegram or Signal you need evidence rather than conjecture. Signal is also a non-profit, while Telegram is a business. We've never seen any conflicts of interest there, now have we?

Ultimately I think both of these are better than nearly every other alternative, but I'm firmly in the encrypted-by-default camp and use Signal.
Reply
chopper_ufo

I'll like to say signal is just another version of Whatsapp. After so many people asking for not using a "phone number", it is still not mention in its future roadmap.
Reply
SoulSnatcher

They both tie for suck. Signal is killing support for sms/mms & telegram doesn't support it from the get & telegram won't import your contacts list into their app. They want your phone number / full access to your contacts but you can't have access to your own contacts in their aop. I should mention telegram does support bots & if you can figure out how to make the sms to telegram bot function properly you can receive sms/mms through the bot on a channel, NOT like a regular message, but it's a pain in the A & still no non-telegram user contacts in app & as an added bonus messaging through the bot exposes all your info to their servers so what's the point? Even Google Messages supports end to end encryption between 2 Messages app user & still supports sms/mms to contacts not using Messages app. In short, unless you can get your entire contacts list to switch to either Signal or telegram or you are comfortable using multiple messaging apps & only getting notifications from your default app then pick a different app! I use Messages for Messaging because that's what most of my contacts use so most of my messages are end to end encrypted & I use Viber for outgoing phone calls because it's also encrypted no matter who you call (note Viber also supports sms/mms to non-Viber contacts & imports all of your contacts into the app). Apps that don't support both encrypted & non-encrypted messaging are shooting themselves in the foot cuz lots of apps are offering this & nobody I know wants to use multiple messaging apps. Additionally, you need to have encrypted storage on your phone AND use an encrypted keyboard like CipherBoard or Fleksa or hackers/keyloggers can get your data anyway either that or your keyboard app will keep &/or sell your info even if you're using encrypted messaging. All parts of sending, receiving, &/or storing messages must be encrypted or you're leaking your info anyway. Heads up out there people. Encrypt your entire device & fly low.
Reply
SoulSnatcher

kinney said:
Signal wins for me as all users get encryption by default, the only way it should be. Unless you're using the big ticket messengers like WhatsApp, Skype, FB Messenger, or iMessage, no point in switching unless you're guaranteeing users end to end security. I have friends at the State Department and they will only chat over Signal. They're of course more worried about foreign adversaries than our own government, but they're concerned with our own government as well. As far as backdoors, for either Telegram or Signal you need evidence rather than conjecture. Signal is also a non-profit, while Telegram is a business. We've never seen any conflicts of interest there, now have we?

Ultimately I think both of these are better than nearly every other alternative, but I'm firmly in the encrypted-by-default camp and use Signal.
Only Signal user to Signal user messaging is encrypted by default. Signal user to non-Signal user is NOT encrypted or private (ps also, nothing is totally encrypted unless you're using an encrypted keyboard and/or if you store your messages without an encrypted storage app then you're leaking your info anyway). Additionally, Signal is killing support for sms/mms so unless all of your contacts use Signal you will be using 2 messaging apps but only getting notifications from your default app. Anyway, Signal used to be great. Encrypted messaging to your Signal contacts & regular sms/mms to all your non-Signal contacts with a notification that messaging non-Signsl users is not encrypted (I mean chatting with granny or your nieces doesn't really need end to end encryption does it? Even if it does, unless they're using the same encrypted app as you, you're s.o.l. anyway). Used to be easy peazy. Not any more...
Reply
SoulSnatcher

gbcox said:
Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.
I don't understand the huge problem with using phone numbers to communicate. I mean as long as your contacts are in encrypted storage & only your phone/messaging app has permission to access your contacts, and your messaging is encrypted, and you're using an encrypted keyboard (if you're not using an encrypted keyboard & using encrypted storage on your phone then you're leaking your info anyway even if you're using encrypted messaging) then nobody knows who you're messaging or what's in the messages anyway.
Also, Signal also has a desktop Windows app that does use your ph number but does not require your phone for encrypted messaging, that gets sent over the Internet anyway not through your phone system. People should also know telegram won't import your entire contacts list, only other telegram users & encryption is not on by default you have to turn it on it settings. Additionally the telegram app itself does not support regular sms/mms you have to do it through a bot which exposes all your info to their servers anyway & is not even user through server encrypted. They want access to your contacts list but don't give you access to your own contacts in their app & will not send messages to non-telegram users, only through a bot, which is NOT the app & does not have the same protections. Ps Signal is also killing support for regular sms/mms.
Reply
SoulSnatcher

gbcox said:
I don't know of any messaging app that will keep the original size by default. I do know however that
whatever default compression used by Telegram is more than adequate to display on a phone or print out
on a printer. If you do want to send the original quality image, you simply send it as a file attachment. The
limit on file attachments in Telegram is 2Gb.
Telegram: https://telegram.org/blog/profile-videos-people-nearby-and-more
Signal, the limit on file attachments is 100Mb.

Telegram also has some additional editing capabilities and can group multiple photos into albums so the recipient
just gets 1 message with all the photos neatly displayed rather than multiple messages.
Signal also will combine multiple photos & send them all together in one message, they just don't call it an album. Also, 100mb is more than enough for most people. I mean even large photos are what like 5mb? That's >= 20 photos in one message & if I have an extra large video file or anything over 100mb they're getting a link to the file from cloud storage that can be downloaded from their computer or any other source anyway. I mean who wants to be forced to download 2gb of data on their data plan just keep your attachment or cost themselves 2gb of data to send a message? Also, and maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see how the "people near by" feature can possibly be secure because I don't think you can track people or be tracked securely seeing as how you have to use servers to do it..
Reply

Show more comments