With the recent events surrounding WhatsApp, many users are looking for a new way to communicate with their loved ones with complete confidentiality.
The products of the Facebook giant are not very protective of privacy, so many have faced the following dilemma: Should I switch to Signal or to Telegram?
Interface and Ease of Use #
One thing is certain, people do not like change and love their comfort. If I want to migrate my family to another application it has to be simple, easy, and enjoyable.
The interface of both products is very nice. The different elements of the interfaces are placed harmoniously.
Strongly inspired by the majority of communication applications, even your grandmother will be able to adapt—I’m not worried about that.
Privacy and Security #
And in terms of security, which application protects me the best?
It’s a complex question, but not impossible to answer. According to many researchers, Telegram has a level of encryption that is below what Signal offers, but in my view, that is not the most essential point.
The most important thing is what is protected, and with Signal it’s quite simple—everything is covered.
Whether it’s your messages, your photos, or even your video stream, everything is cleaned up. No more residual metadata, and everything is encrypted.
With Telegram, on the other hand, it’s a different story. By default, nothing is protected. End-to-end encryption has to be activated manually. No information regarding the management of metadata has been provided by its creators, so be wary.
Usage #
While one might initially think that both services serve the same purpose, in reality, this is not entirely the case.
Signal is an alternative very similar to WhatsApp. It is designed for simple and confidential user-to-user communication. And that’s it—just messaging and calls.
On the other hand, Telegram aims to be more like a comprehensive platform for doing everything. Integration with bots, payment systems, APIs, and it plays the role of a social network with announcement systems and community spaces.
While messaging is at the heart of the system, it more closely resembles a Swiss Army knife like WeChat.
Business Models #
While Signal is developed and managed by a non-profit organization funded solely by donations, Telegram is a commercial enterprise. The platform continues to grow and will seek to monetize its users sooner or later.
Conclusion #
It all depends on your usage. If you are looking for a simple, secure messaging service that respects your privacy, go to Signal.
However, if you want a modifiable messaging service for creating bots, or to use it as an alert or announcement system, then you should turn to Telegram, but keep in mind that privacy is no longer the focus.
