Processing
End-to-end encrypted cloud
How product activity is processed.
INDEPENDENT SOFTWARE
Signal
Private messaging and calling with end-to-end encryption enabled for every Signal conversation.
- Desktop · Mobile
- End-to-end encrypted cloud
- Open source
- Pricing
- Donation
- Category
- Communication
Privacy at a glance
A quick view of the dimensions most useful for comparing this product. Unconfirmed facts stay explicitly unconfirmed.
Identity
Pseudonymous account
Whether an account is needed to use it.
Tracking
None detected
Reported analytics and tracking posture.
Ownership & source
Open source
Availability of the product source code.
Offline support
Partial
Whether core use can continue offline.
Self-hosting
No
Whether you can run it on your own infrastructure.
What to know
Why it stands out
- Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default rather than through an optional private mode.
- Client and server source repositories are publicly available for inspection.
Trade-offs
- Registration relies on a phone number, even though Signal supports privacy features that reduce number exposure to other users.
- Signal does not provide an officially supported self-hosted service deployment.
Best for
People who need a simple private messenger with strong default content confidentiality.
Consider another option when
Organizations that require self-hosted identity, retention, or compliance administration.
Technical details
Complete privacy-profile dimensions, grouped for easier review. Each value is retained from the catalogue record.
4 groups · 18 dimensions
- Processing
- End-to-end encrypted cloud
- Storage
- Encrypted cloud
- Offline support
- Partial
- Self-hosting
- No
- Data export
- Partial
- Data deletion
- Yes
Alternatives
Element
An open-source Matrix client and collaboration platform supporting decentralized or self-hosted messaging with end-to-end encryption.
View profile
Jitsi Meet
An open-source web and mobile video-conferencing platform that can be used through public instances or deployed on a private server.
View profile
Proton Mail
An encrypted email service using end-to-end encryption for supported private-email flows and zero-access encryption for stored mailbox content.
View profile
Evidence
6 public sources collected
- Is it private? Can I trust it?support.signal.org · Documentation · default end-to-end encryption and content confidentiality
- Signal Privacy Policysignal.org · Privacy policy · account data, service data, retention, and deletion practices
- Signal repositoriesgithub.com · Source repository · public source code for Signal applications and services
View all 6 sources
- Donate to Signalsignal.org · Product page · nonprofit donation-supported model and no-ads/no-trackers positioning
- Signal Legalsignal.org · Terms · privacy policy and service terms
- Signal Secure Backupssupport.signal.org · Documentation · optional end-to-end encrypted cloud backup and deletion behavior
Claim listing and corrections
Makers can request a listing claim, and anyone can submit an evidence-backed correction. Requests are reviewed before public profile information changes.