Signal vs Teamwire (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Signal grades higher than Teamwire: 3.2 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Signal grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Teamwire grades higher on features. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Teamwire
GDPR-focused business messenger hosted in Germany
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 Teamwire if
- Fits if you are a hospital, public body or utility that needs German hosting
- Makes sense if you need alerting and a central directory for 25 or more people
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are a small team, as every plan has a 25-user minimum
- Tight if you need calls, because voice and video conferences are a paid add-on
- Skip it if you need above 500 users on Standard, since that is the cap
- Watch out: chat widget, WhatsApp and federation are quoted on request, and prices are in euros
How we grade them
| 3.2GPASignalVery good | 2.2GPATeamwireFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations. | DSmall Business is €79 a month for up to 25 users, so one person pays €79. That is in the dearest tenth of team chat tools. Standard drops to €3.45 per user, but also starts at 25. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, with no cap and no paid tier to be pushed toward. | CA 15-day trial with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | CText, voice, files, group chats and calls. For a team-chat tool it has no channels, roles or admin controls. | BChat, calls, alerting, location, roles, audit logs, LDAP sync and SDKs. Conferences are an extra €0.75 per user a month. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start texting with nothing to set up. | CNo store rating on record. Directory sync, roles and hosting need an administrator to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. No web app, and desktop depends on a linked phone. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with SDKs and APIs. No desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | private one-to-one and group messaging | regulated bodies needing a German-hosted messenger |
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 Teamwire. 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. Teamwire starts at about $88.26 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Signal starts $88.26 a month lower. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Signal for less, and 12 score higher than Teamwire 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
- Signal is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Teamwire is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Signal | Teamwire | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | €79 per month for up to 25 users, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial, no credit card needed. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Signal Technology Foundation | Teamwire GmbH |
| Price read from | signal.org | teamwire.eu |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Teamwire
- Every plan has a 25-user minimum per organization; Standard tops out at 500 users.
- Voice and video conferences are an optional add-on at 0.75 euros per user per month on Small Business and Standard.
- Chat widget, WhatsApp Business integration and federation are quoted on request.
- Prices are shown in euros.
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.
Teamwire
- Messaging and calls
- 1:1, group and broadcast chats, attachments, polls, 1:1 voice and video calls and a central user directory.
- Alerting and location
- Alert messages with an emergency button and acknowledgements, live location sharing and a push-to-talk interface.
- Role concept
- Operational roles shown beside names let groups follow responsibilities without manual updates.
- Administration and compliance
- Central user administration, data-retention policies, audit-proof archiving, audit logs and MDM support.
- Hosting choices
- German cloud in an ISO 27001 and BSI C5 certified data centre; private cloud or on-premise on the Professional plan.
- SDKs and APIs
- SDKs and APIs connect Teamwire to CRM, ERP, help desk and other systems and to chatbots.
Plans
Signal
Free$0
The whole app is free, with no ads or trackers; development is funded by grants and donations.
Teamwire
Small Business€79
per month for up to 25 users, billed annually
Up to 25 users, 3 devices per user, German cloud hosting; the 25-user minimum applies.
Standard€3.45
per user / month, billed annually
25 to 500 users, 3 devices per user, German cloud, LDAP/AD sync and audit logs.
ProfessionalCustom
25 to unlimited users, 5 devices per user, private cloud or on-premise hosting; price on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Signal or Teamwire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Signal is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $88.26 a month for Teamwire. Signal is free, and Teamwire starts at €79 per month for up to 25 users, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Signal or Teamwire?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Signal has a free plan. Teamwire does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Signal and Teamwire run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Signal lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps and only Teamwire lists a web app. Both list 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.