Privacy-focused encrypted messaging app with open-source architecture.
Privacy advocates, journalists, activists, and users prioritizing security over features
Feature-rich messaging platform with 1 billion users and extensive bot ecosystem.
Communities, businesses, content creators, and users wanting feature-rich messaging with large networks
Signal prioritizes privacy with end-to-end encryption by default on all messages, while Telegram offers more features including channels, bots, and larger group capabilities. Choose Signal for maximum privacy or Telegram for feature richness and community engagement.
Signal is the superior choice for users prioritizing absolute privacy and security, with mandatory end-to-end encryption on all communications. Telegram excels for communities, businesses, and users seeking rich features like channels, bots, and extensive customization, though with trade-offs in privacy. Your choice depends on whether privacy or functionality is your primary concern.
Choose Signal if
Privacy advocates, journalists, activists, and users prioritizing security over features
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| Metric | Signal | Telegram | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Active Users (2026)(millions) | Signal | — | — |
| Advanced Features Count(features) | Signal | — | — |
| Transparency Score(percent) | Signal | — | — |
| Security Audits(per year) | Signal | — | — |
| Monthly Active Users |
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Choose Telegram if
Communities, businesses, content creators, and users wanting feature-rich messaging with large networks
| Signal |
| Telegram |
| -92% |
| Default Encryption Coverage(%) | Signal | Telegram | — |
| Bot Ecosystem Activity(millions of interactions) | Signal | Telegram | -97% |
| Maximum Group Size(members) | Signal | Telegram | — |
| Cost(USD/month) | Signal | Telegram | — |
| Monthly User Time Engagement(hours) | Signal | Telegram | -43% |
| Global User Base(millions of users) | 1 billion | 1 billion | — |
| Maximum File Size(MB/GB) | 2 GB | 2 GB | — |
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 500 | 500 | — |
| Average Monthly Usage(hours) | 4 hours 25 minutes | 4 hours 25 minutes | — |
| Maximum File Size(GB) | 2 | 2 | — |
| Multi-Device Support(devices) | Unlimited | Unlimited | — |
| Bot Integration Ecosystem(monthly users) | 62 million | 62 million | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated May 2026.
Signal
End-to-end encrypted by default🏆
Telegram
Optional for secret chats only
Signal
70-100 million
Telegram
1 billion🏆
Signal
Completely free, open source
Telegram
Free with optional $4.99/mo Premium
Signal
Focused, minimal features
Telegram
Rich: channels, bots, payments, communities🏆
Signal
Up to 1,000 members
Telegram
Unlimited members in channels🏆
Signal
All chats encrypted by default🏆
Telegram
Selective encryption option
Signal
Limited bot ecosystem
Telegram
62 million users interact with bots daily🏆
Signal
Yes, fully open source🏆
Telegram
Server-side closed source
No. Signal encrypts all messages by default with military-grade encryption, while Telegram only encrypts 'secret chats' by default. Regular Telegram chats are encrypted in transit but not end-to-end, making Signal the more secure choice for sensitive communications.
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| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Active Users (2026)(millions) | Signal | — |
| Data Collection Level | Minimal | — |
| Encryption Standards | End-to-End (Signal Protocol) | — |
| Security Audits(per year) | Signal | — |
| Default Encryption Coverage(%) | Signal | Telegram |
| Privacy-First Architecture | Signal | Telegram |
| Default Encryption Coverage(percent) | All chats (optional secret mode) | — |
Show 1 more attributeDefault End-to-End Encryption No (optional) — | ||
| Advanced Features Count(features) | Signal | — |
| Maximum Group Size(members) | Signal | Telegram |
| Transparency Score(percent) | Signal | — |
| Business Account Support | Limited/None | — |
| Organization Type | Non-profit foundation | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | Signal | Telegram |
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 500 | — |
| Bot Ecosystem Activity(millions of interactions) | Signal | Telegram |
| Maximum File Size(MB/GB) | 2 GB | — |
| Automation Capabilities | Third-party bot integrations and custom bots | — |
| Maximum File Size(GB) | 2 | — |
| Multi-Device Support(devices) | Unlimited | — |
Show 2 more attributesBot Integration Ecosystem(monthly users) 62 million — Business Tools Integration Limited — | ||
| Open Source Code | Signal | Telegram |
| Cost(USD/month) | Signal | Telegram |
| Monthly User Time Engagement(hours) | Signal | Telegram |
| Average Monthly Usage(hours) | 4 hours 25 minutes | — |
| Global User Base(millions of users) | 1 billion | — |
| Business Platform Quality(rating) | Basic (API-dependent, fewer built-in tools) | — |
| Developer API Friendliness(rating) | Highly flexible and well-documented | — |
| 2026 Feature Updates(updates) | New UI redesign, sharing prevention, member tags, privacy controls (4 major) | — |
| Target User Type | Power users and privacy enthusiasts | — |
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes