The Signal Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Signal in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Signal
The Insider’s Guide
Nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Signal’s own pages.
Made by Signal Technology Foundation · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Signal’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Signal’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade
Signal is a free messaging and calling app run by a US nonprofit, the Signal Technology Foundation. It covers text, voice messages, files, group chats and voice and video calls, with end-to-end encryption on every message and call. It is built for personal privacy and has no team admin tools.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Signal, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's a personal messenger, not a workplace one: no admin console, roles or channels, and the desktop apps only work once linked to a phone.
- 1
Best for private one-to-one and group messaging
Signal is a free messaging and calling app from a US nonprofit, with end-to-end encryption on every message and call and no ads.
- 2
It is free
Signal has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on 5 platforms
iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
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.
- 5
Text, voice and files
Send text, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs and files over the phone's data connection instead of SMS or MMS.
- 6
Voice and video calls
Make voice and video calls to other Signal users with no long-distance charges.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 45 of 50
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Signal is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Signal at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Signal Technology Foundation
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for private one-to-one and group messaging
Signal is a free messaging and calling app from a US nonprofit, with end-to-end encryption on every message and call and no ads. It's a personal messenger, not a workplace one: no admin console, roles or channels, and the desktop apps only work once linked to a phone.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole app is free, with no cap and no paid tier to be pushed toward. |
| Features | C | Text, voice, files, group chats and calls. For a team-chat tool it has no channels, roles or admin controls. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but you install it and start texting with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. No web app, and desktop depends on a linked phone. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Signal is for
- Fits if you want private messaging with friends, family or a small group
- Works for people who want no ads and no tracking
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Small groups that want private chats at no cost
- Teams that treat message privacy as the first requirement
- Anyone who wants calls and chat in one free app
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Signal is free to use.
Free outright with no ads or trackers, paid for by grants and donations.
Free
$0
The whole app is free, with no ads or trackers; development is funded by grants and donations.
Read from signal.org on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: end-to-end encrypted, team chat, video calls.
Text, voice, files, group chats and calls.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Signal is made by Signal Technology Foundation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
45/50
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Signal's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 43 of 50) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Signal has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Signal’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 41 of 50
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 50
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 50
- BEase of useAbove 37 of 50
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Signal is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Signal is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Video calls.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. Signal’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Telegram, Wire, Element, Threema Work and Matrix
The 5 tools Signal is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Telegram
Free plan · from $4.99
Cloud-based messenger with large groups, channels and bots.
- Only Telegram lists a web app.
- Signal is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.0GPA
Wire
Free plan · from €7.45/mo
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations.
- Only Wire lists a web app.
- Wire is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Wire also covers file sharing.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard.
- Only Element lists a web app.
- Element is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Element also covers file sharing.
- 2.4GPA
Threema Work
Free trial · from $3.00/mo
Encrypted business messenger from Switzerland.
- Signal has a free plan. Threema Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Signal lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Threema Work lists a web app.
- 3.0GPA
Matrix
Free
Open, decentralized network for chat and calls.
- Only Matrix lists a web app.
- Matrix is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Signal also covers video calls.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Signal free?
Yes. Signal is free to use.
How much does Signal cost?
Signal lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Signal work on?
Signal is available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Signal open source?
Signal is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Is Signal end-to-end encrypted?
Signal describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Who makes Signal?
Signal is made by Signal Technology Foundation.
What are the alternatives to Signal?
The closest alternatives to Signal in our directory are Telegram, Wire, Element, Threema Work and Matrix.
How does Signal compare with other team communication apps?
Signal's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 45 of the 50 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 2.
Is Signal good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Signal A for value for money. Signal has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Signal?
Signal is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Signal’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Signal's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Signal Technology Foundation. Prices change, so check signal.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Signal, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/signal
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Signal: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/signal
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/signal/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Signal, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Signal’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Signal is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Signal Technology Foundation. Prices and plans change: check signal.org before you buy.