Delta Chat vs Signal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Delta Chat and Signal share a 3.2 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Delta Chat if
- Fits if you want a free private messenger that works across phones and desktops
- Works for friends or families who would rather not use a phone number
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want team channels or an admin console, as there are none
- Skip it if you want paid support, since funding is by donations
- Watch out: minimum systems apply, including Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10
- Too light for workplace chat, with no workspace structure
Pick Signal if
- Fits if you want private messaging with friends, family or a small group
- Works for people who want no ads and no tracking
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a workplace tool, as it has no channels, roles or admin console
- Not for you if you want a desktop app on its own, since it needs linking from a phone
- Too light for support, because no paid or business tier is listed
- Watch out: no integrations or bots are listed, so it will not plug into your other tools
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADelta ChatVery good | 3.2GPASignalVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with the apps and relays at no charge. | AFree outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for every app, funded by donations. | AThe whole app is free, with no cap and no paid tier to be pushed toward. |
| Features | CChats, groups, multiple profiles and devices, and small web apps. A messenger with no channels or admin tools. | CText, voice, files, group chats and calls. For a team-chat tool it has no channels, roles or admin controls. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but chatmail relays let you start without setting up a server. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start texting with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No API or integrations are listed. | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. No web app, and desktop depends on a linked phone. |
| Best for | encrypted chat over ordinary email servers | private one-to-one and group messaging |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Delta Chat and Signal. How we grade
Price against what you get
Delta Chat has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Signal has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Delta Chat for less, and none scores higher than Signal for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Delta Chat is open source, according to its own site.
- Signal also covers video calls.
In commonFree planiOSAndroidmacOSWindowsLinuxEnd-to-end encryptedTeam chat
At a glance
| Delta Chat | Signal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The apps and the relay servers are free and open source; the project accepts donations. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Delta Chat contributors | Signal Technology Foundation |
| Price read from | delta.chat | signal.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Delta Chat
- There is no team workspace, channel structure or admin console; it is a messenger with group chats.
- Minimum systems named on the download page include Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10.
- Funding is by donations, so there is no paid support plan on the site.
Signal
- Built as a personal messenger: the pages describe no admin console, roles, channels or workspace controls.
- The desktop apps work only after Signal is installed and linked from a phone.
- No paid plan or business support tier is listed; the app is funded by donations.
Key features
Delta Chat
- Chatmail relays
- Sign up to a chatmail relay for an instant chat profile, or use a classic email address as the relay.
- Audited encryption
- The site describes audited end-to-end encryption designed to hold up against network and server attacks.
- Multiple profiles and devices
- Run several chat profiles and use the same one on more than one device. The desktop apps do not need a phone install.
- Interactive web apps
- Small web apps open inside a chat for games and collaboration.
- Interoperability
- Built on internet standards, so users on different relays and clients can message each other.
- Open-source apps
- Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux apps are published with source code, along with alternative third-party clients.
Signal
- End-to-end encryption by default
- Signal says every message and call is end-to-end encrypted using the open source Signal Protocol, with no optional secure mode.
- Text, voice and files
- Send text, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs and files over the phone's data connection instead of SMS or MMS.
- Voice and video calls
- Make voice and video calls to other Signal users with no long-distance charges.
- Group chats
- Group chats keep family, friends or coworkers in one conversation.
- Desktop apps
- Apps for Mac, Windows and Linux; Signal must first be installed on a phone before a desktop app can be used.
- No ads or tracking
- Signal says it carries no ads, no affiliate marketers and no tracking, and cannot be acquired by a major tech company.
Plans
Delta Chat
Free$0
All apps for phones and desktops at no charge. The project is funded partly by donations.
Signal
Free$0
The whole app is free, with no ads or trackers; development is funded by grants and donations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Delta Chat or Signal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Delta Chat and Signal are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Delta Chat or Signal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Delta Chat and Signal have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.