The competition between Whatsapp Vs Signal Vs Telegram is now even higher since WhatsApp 2021 updated the conditions and terms.

With a whopping amount of more than 2 billion active users on a monthly basis, WhatsApp is the real deal right now. But following that, there are more than 400 million and 20 million monthly users for Telegram and Signal respectively.

The numbers clearly display the popularity of WhatsApp. But then numbers won’t tell everything about a particular app. This detailed comparison between Signal vs. WhatsApp and Telegram vs. WhatsApp will help in learning the position of each app.

Also, there is a flooding of high-end mobile app development services presently. Anyone can now aim to compete with these big players by creating their own applications.

Let us learn more in detail.

WhatsApp Vs. Signal Vs. Telegram: Facts & Differences:

☛ Basic features

A WhatsApp download will always show users the benefits and limitations that the app carries within it.

  • Users enjoy the liberty of creating groups in the app where they can add 256 members. They can even make video and group voice calls.
  • The app is very popular because of its broadcasting feature that enables message delivery to manifold contacts concurrently.
  • However, only 8 people can participate in a group video call. Users can enjoy the features of voice and individual video calling as well. Most importantly, posting status is possible in this app that lasts for 24 hours.
  • The app enables the sharing of videos, documents, and pictures with one another.
  • But the maximum size of the photo, audio, or video calls experience limitations of up to 16 MB. The maximum document size is 100 MB.

Anyone can hire an Android app developer for incorporating third-party backup services just like WhatsApp with iCloud and Google Drive. It comes free of cost with WhatsApp.

While speaking about Telegram apps, we need to focus on Telegram vs. WhatsApp. Telegram consists of manifold features that WhatsApp certainly lacks.

  • Users in this social platform can add 2, 00,000 contacts in a single group.
  • Features like quizzes, polls, and hashtags make interaction very interesting between all users within a group.
  • The maximum file size limit that users can share is 1.5GB.
  • The app also consists of a self-destructing attribute for messages that is absent in WhatsApp.
  • Users can also easily make video and voice calls

Coming to the Signal app, now it is time to evaluate Signal vs. WhatsApp differences in terms of basic features.

  • This application provides voice calling, video calling, and texting services.
  • Communication within this app between users is always end-to-end encrypted.
  • However, there is an absence of broadcasting features, unlike WhatsApp.
  • But users can anytime form groups and benefit from the group calling attribute.
  • Users can list down important points with the feature of “Note to Self”.
  • The emojis are highly restricted in Signal as compared to WhatsApp.
  • The signal application also offers support to the attribute of self-destructing messages

☛ Security

WhatsApp in 2021 is all about end-to-end encryption.

  • E2E on this application is accessible on all communication modes that are enabled by the app.
  • Every message, voice and video call, and photo that users share are end-to-end encrypted on this application.
  • WhatsApp privacy is ensured at all times as only two users while communicating can read texts that they send to one another.
  • WhatsApp application can never decrypt the contents of photos, messages, and calls. This ensures complete privacy and security.
  • This noteworthy feature of WhatsApp is put into implementation by Open Whispers Systems. This is also the name behind the messenger called Signal. This point is a favorable one as the protocol of Signal is open source.
  • It is extremely noteworthy that interaction on WhatsApp employs E2E encryption but it never encrypts backups (local and cloud). It also never encrypts metadata that conducts interaction between two particular endpoints.
  • That is true metadata never permits a person to read your texts but it lets the authorities learn about when and whom you texted someone.

A telegram privacy policy is as follows:

  • The telegram app does a good job of offering protection to the users. But there are quite a few pain points in the method the app encrypts the messages.
  • Telegram is a chat app offering support for E2E encryption but it is not empowered by default. One can utilize E2E encryption on this app by utilizing the secrets chat attribute.
  • Texts that are sent in secret chats are always E2E encrypted but the regular messages are not encrypted. This means texts are device encrypted but are decrypted on the server of the telegram.
  • However, Telegram also employs its very own protocol for proprietary encryption and MTProto for encrypting the messages. But the protocol is a closed-source one which makes verification impossible for security researchers.
  • Telegram like WhatsApp provides a built-in application lock.

How Signal privacy policy tops the game is listed below:

  • A signal app is the best one in terms of security. It can be on the user-facing service side or back-end service side; both ways, security is robust.
  • Signal also employs a protocol that is open-source for implementing end-to-end encryption. Similar to WhatsApp, the encryption covers every form of interaction on Signal.
  • Signal encrypted metadata as well unlike WhatsApp. Signal gave shape to a new method of communication between the recipient and sender known as Sealed Sender. It is meant for safeguarding user privacy in every way. By this, no one will know whom you are messaging which includes Signal as well.
  • Locking Signal messenger is possible through biometrics or passcode which makes Signal extremely secure and private.
  • There are options for screenshot blocking within the application.
  • Signal also encrypts every local file by default with a passphrase consisting of 4 digits. Users can even craft encrypted local backups. Most importantly, the app offers support for encrypted group calls which makes it an amazing app.

Ownership

  • The owner of WhatsApp is Facebook. The new WhatsApp in 2021 privacy policy is somewhat scary to people. This is because the application will be sharing data and information with the Facebook family of applications for enhanced ad targeting.
  • Nikolai Durov and Pavel Durov launched the Telegram app in 2013. The E2E support which is optional and closed source protocol for encryption shows that there is room for more enhancement and transparency.
  • The owner of Signal is Signal foundation. This nonprofit foundation is run by Brian Acton and Moxie Marlinspike. The former is a cryptographer. The former is also the father figure of Signal protocol. The latter was WhatsApp’s co-founder but he quit the company when Facebook acquired it after 3 years. A signal app is fully operated by grants and donations. In fact, you can also donate for funding the future development of Signal.

Conclusion

The listing of differences between Signal vs. WhatsApp and Telegram vs. WhatsApp let us understand the distinct features as well as their limitations.

Anyone can hire iOS app developers to develop mobile applications similar to these. From today’s discussion, the points that become clear are:

Telegram messenger is not the safest chat app in context to security. But it consists of loads of features that are beneficial for group admins. Telegram just gathers the contact and ID of users.

A signal app is an extremely private and secure application. People, who consider privacy as a top measure, need to go with Signal. Then again Signal collects only the phone numbers of the users, unlike Telegram.

WhatsApp is an amazing app in terms of E2E encryption. However, the new WhatsApp privacy policy is not very digestible. It collects several data after the new conditions and terms implement.

This incorporates device ID, advertising data, user ID, phone number, email address, product integration, diagnostic data, etc.

While sum it up, any day Telegram is the best if an individual requires more features than the usual messenger. A signal app is the one for you if all you need are calling and messaging features along with high security.

WhatsApp is somewhat dicey on the part of the new privacy policy update. Make your choice wisely. Other than that, we are always one call away for any kind of assistance with your mobile app development process. Get in touch with us today.

telegram vs whatsapp

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

WhatsApp collects – Device ID, Payment info, Product interaction, and Phone number. Signal collects – Nothing. It only stores the phone number. It never tries to link the phone number with the identity of any user. Telegram collects – User IDs, Contact info, and Contacts.

The signal is the most private and secure in context to user privacy. It encrypts local files with 4 digit passphrase.

Signal is the best messenger in terms of security.