Olvid vs Signal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Signal grades higher than Olvid: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Olvid grades higher on platforms. Signal grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Olvid
End-to-end encrypted messenger needing no phone number
Which one is for you
Pick Olvid if
- Fits if you want an encrypted messenger that needs no phone number
- Works for companies that want an admin console and phone-managed deployment
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want outbound calls, at €4.99 a month for one person
- Watch out: prices are in euros only, with taxes included for individuals and excluded for business
- Watch out: the Enterprise plan adds a flat €4,990 a year on top of the per-user price
- Watch out: bots and AI add-ons have no published price
- Skip it if you need Linux, as it appears only on the pricing table and not the download page
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
| 3.0GPAOlvidVery good | 3.2GPASignalVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe free plan has no message limits. Calling out needs €4.99 a month for one person, or €9.90 for business, so the useful extras sit around the category middle. | AFree outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever for messages, attachments and groups. Outbound calls need a paid license after a one-month trial. | AThe whole app is free, with no cap and no paid tier to be pushed toward. |
| Features | CEncrypted messages, calls, edit and unsend, profiles and a management console. Outbound calls are paid. | 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 there is no phone number or account to set up. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start texting with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with bots and an enterprise management console. | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. No web app, and desktop depends on a linked phone. |
| Best for | encrypted chat without a phone number | 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: Olvid and Signal. How we grade
Price against what you get
Olvid starts at about $5.57 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Signal has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Olvid scores higher, and starts $5.57 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Olvid 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
- Olvid is open source, according to its own site.
- Olvid also covers chatbots.
At a glance
| Olvid | Signal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase) | Free |
| Free plan | Free forever: unlimited messages and attachments, group discussions, multiple profiles, Olvid Web and inbound audio and video calls. | None |
| Free trial | The pricing table shows a 1-month free trial of outbound calls for free-plan users. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Olvid | Signal Technology Foundation |
| Price read from | olvid.io | signal.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Olvid
- Prices are published in euros only; the in-app price includes taxes and the business prices exclude them.
- Outbound audio and video calls need a paid license after the 1-month trial.
- Olvid Web works with an Android-compatible device, and the Linux app is mentioned only on the pricing table, not the download page.
- Bots, Olvid x AI and a turnkey integration are options with no published price; a discount depends on the number of users.
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
Olvid
- No personal data to sign up
- The site says no phone number, email, name or address is required, and the app does not ask for the address book.
- Encrypted messages and calls
- Messages and attachments are end-to-end encrypted. Incoming calls are free for all users; outbound calls are a paid option.
- Edit, unsend and ephemeral messages
- Edit a sent message, delete it for the recipient or set automatic deletion by time or single read.
- Multiple profiles and devices
- Several profiles, including hidden ones, are on the free plan. The pricing page lists syncing all devices as a feature.
- Management Console
- The Enterprise offer adds SSO via OpenID Connect or SAML 2.0, CSV user import, group management and instant key revocation.
- Olvid Bots
- Information, command and chat bots automate messages and tools, sold as options on the business tiers.
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
Olvid
Free€0
forever
No limits on messages or attachment size, groups, edit and unsend, ephemeral messages and incoming calls.
In-app purchase€4.99
per user / month, incl. taxes, billed monthly
Individual license bought in the app through the App Store or Google Play, managed there. Outbound audio and video calls need a paid license.
Business€9.90
per user / month, excl. taxes, billed monthly
Bought on the Olvid Store; license activation links are handed to users. Outbound calls are included, with MDM deployment.
Enterprise€9.90
per user / month, excl. taxes, plus a flat €4,990 a year
Billed annually. Adds the Management Console, SSO, user and group management, instant revocation and MDM deployment.
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, Olvid or Signal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Signal is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $5.57 a month for each person for Olvid. Olvid starts at €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase), and Signal is free.
Which has a free plan, Olvid or Signal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olvid and Signal have a free plan.
Which platforms do Olvid and Signal run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Olvid lists a web app and only Signal lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.