Signal is the better app overall, scoring 9.2 to 8.5. Signal wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Discord on 1.
Anyone who wants private chats and calls without trading data for convenience
Gamers, hobby groups and online communities that want voice and text in one place
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Signal | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Messaging & Calls | Messaging & Calls |
| Category rank | #1 of 8 | #5 of 8 |
| Developer | Signal Foundation | Discord Inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Signal
- Strongest privacy of any mainstream messenger
- Free, with no ads, and run by a nonprofit
- Clean, fast apps on phone and desktop
- Fewer of your contacts are likely to use it
- No channels, bots or large community features
Signal is the messenger to pick when privacy matters. Every message, call and group chat is end-to-end encrypted by default, and the nonprofit behind it collects almost no data. Usernames let you chat without sharing your phone number. The catch is reach: fewer of your friends may use it, and it lacks extras like channels and bots. Use it for anything sensitive.
Full Signal review
Discord
- Excellent free voice chat with low latency
- Flexible servers with roles, bots and permissions
- Nearly everything important is free
- Text messages are not end-to-end encrypted
- Busy servers can get noisy and hard to follow
Discord is the best free home for an online community. Servers mix text channels, drop-in voice rooms and screen sharing, and voice quality is excellent. Voice and video calls are now end-to-end encrypted, but text messages are not, and Discord moderates content on its servers. Nitro adds perks you can easily skip. Pick it for gaming groups, hobby communities and study servers, not for work.
Full Discord review
