Signal vs SimpleX Chat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Signal and SimpleX Chat 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 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
Pick SimpleX Chat if
- Fits if you do not want to give a phone number or email
- Works for privacy-minded people who want groups and calls on phone and desktop
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a team workspace, as it is a messenger with groups
- Watch out: iOS push notifications go through servers run by SimpleX Chat Ltd
- Watch out: a mobile profile can link to a desktop but not run independently on several devices
- Skip it if you want a browser version, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPASignalVery good | 3.2GPASimpleX ChatVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations. | AFree and open source on every platform. No paid plan was published. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, with no cap and no paid tier to be pushed toward. | AFree outright, with every app, groups, channels and calls at no charge. |
| Features | CText, voice, files, group chats and calls. For a team-chat tool it has no channels, roles or admin controls. | CDirect chats, groups, channels, calls and linked devices. A messenger rather than a workspace, and a profile cannot run on several devices independently. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start texting with nothing to set up. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start with no account to create. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. No web app, and desktop depends on a linked phone. | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version and no API on the pages read. |
| Best for | private one-to-one and group messaging | private messaging with no user identifiers |
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: Signal and SimpleX Chat. How we grade
Price against what you get
Signal has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimpleX Chat 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 Signal for less, and none scores higher than SimpleX Chat 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
- SimpleX Chat is open source, according to its own site.
In commonFree planiOSAndroidWindowsmacOSLinuxEnd-to-end encryptedTeam chatVideo calls
At a glance
| Signal | SimpleX Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | The apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux are free and open source. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Signal Technology Foundation | SimpleX Chat Ltd |
| Price read from | signal.org | simplex.chat |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SimpleX Chat
- iOS push notifications currently go through servers run by SimpleX Chat Ltd, according to the privacy policy.
- The FAQ has an entry on why one profile cannot be used independently on several devices; a mobile profile can only be linked to desktop.
- The site describes future paid server credits for large communities, but no paid plan was published when read.
Key features
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.
SimpleX Chat
- No user identifiers
- The site says the network has no user IDs of any kind; each connection uses separate queues instead of an account.
- Contacts stored on your device
- Contacts and groups live on the device, not in a server database, and chat profiles can be separated.
- Groups and channels
- Group chats, public channels and a community directory are covered in the guide, with a bot SDK for automations.
- Audio and video calls
- Calls are available in the apps; the FAQ says the app shows whether a given call has end-to-end encryption.
- Linked devices
- A mobile profile can be linked to the desktop app; the FAQ says one profile cannot be used independently on several devices.
- Run your own servers
- Guides explain how to host message, file and WebRTC servers; the site says no single entity controls the network.
Plans
Signal
Free$0
The whole app is free, with no ads or trackers; development is funded by grants and donations.
SimpleX Chat
Free$0
All apps, direct chats, groups, channels and calls at no charge.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Signal or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Signal and SimpleX Chat are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Signal or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Signal and SimpleX Chat 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.