Telegram vs Signal: What is the best WhatsApp alternative?

The WhatsApp privacy policy has been bothering a lot of people. The date of the update and policy rolling out has passed and the lingering question still is "What is a good WhatsApp alternative?" There are multiple social messaging apps available. Apps like Google Hangouts, Google Chats, Telegram and Signal, among others have been up for consideration.

The two most popular options that a lot of people are considering are Telegram and Signal. There are a few things that users need to consider before making the switch. There has to be a lot of data transfer. Since the sole reason for the transfer is privacy, users need to choose based on the security features provided by both apps.

Telegram

Telegram started off as a messaging service in 2013 but the platform has transitioned into much more since then. The app now has a number of features and even channels. A lot of users think of it as a good alternative to torrent since torrent has its own share of problems in India. Apart from messaging, users can stream songs, movies and web series on the platform for free of cost. The app itself is free to download and use. Number of people are already making a switch to the platform from WhatsApp.

Signal

Signal is a fairly new social messaging platform that was launched in March 2021. The app has garnered a lot of attention and was considered to be a good alternative for WhatsApp. It is a simple messaging app that does nothing more. When compared to Telegram, it has a lot fewer features to offer. The interface is simple and easy to understand. New users will not have any difficulty in making a switch.

The Better Alternative

There are some differences between the apps when it comes to the treatment of data. One feature that was highly appreciated in WhatsApp was the end-to-end encryption of chats. If you are looking for an alternative that will encrypt all your chats including group chats, then Signal is the app to go for. Telegram does not encrypt all your chats. It only encrypts the secret chat. Signal even encrypts the metadata of your chats, so it does not know who you are talking to and for how long. Whereas, WhatsApp and Telegram do not encrypt your metadata and metadata encryption is important.

So if you are looking for the safest and most secure WhatsApp alternative, Signal is the way to go and not Telegram.