WhatsApp vs Signal 2026: Which Messaging App Is More Private?

Signal is the gold standard for private messaging — open-source, minimal metadata retention, no advertising, and the encryption protocol that WhatsApp itself uses. WhatsApp offers the same end-to-end encryption for message content, but collects extensive metadata (who you contact, when, how often) and is owned by Meta. For maximum privacy, Signal wins. For convenience and network reach (3+ billion users), WhatsApp wins. The right choice depends on your threat model.