Best Telegram Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from secure messaging apps ranked against Telegram on the same published basis.
- 1Telegram vs SimpleX Chat
- 3Telegram vs Threema
- 4Telegram vs Wire
- 5Telegram vs Crypho
- 6Telegram vs Delta Chat
- 7Telegram vs Olvid
- 8Telegram vs Signal
- 9Telegram vs Viber
- 10Telegram vs Cinny
- 11Telegram vs Zangi
- 12Telegram vs Element
- 13Telegram vs Keybase
- 14Telegram vs SchildiChat
- 15Telegram vs TigerConnect Secure Text Messaging
- 16Telegram vs Cheogram
- 17Telegram vs WhatsApp
- 18Telegram vs Jami
- 19Telegram vs Monal
- 20Telegram vs Nheko
- 21Telegram vs Ricochet Refresh
Telegram alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SimpleX Chat | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 3 | Threema | 6.8 | No | $3/mo | Android, API, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 4 | Wire | 6.0 | Free plan | €7.45/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Crypho | 5.9 | Free plan | €379/mo | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Delta Chat | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 7 | Olvid | 5.9 | Free plan | €82.50/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 8 | Signal | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | Viber | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Cinny | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 11 | Zangi | 5.8 | Free plan | $5/mo | Android, iOS |
| 12 | Element | 5.5 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 13 | Keybase | 5.4 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 14 | SchildiChat | 5.4 | No | — | Android, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 15 | TigerConnect Secure Text Messaging | 5.4 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | Cheogram | 5.1 | No | — | Android |
| 17 | 5.1 | No | — | — | |
| 18 | Jami | 5.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 19 | Monal | 5.0 | No | — | Mac, iOS |
| 20 | Nheko | 5.0 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 21 | Ricochet Refresh | 5.0 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
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Questions about Telegram alternatives
What is the best alternative to Telegram?
SimpleX Chat, number 1 in secure messaging apps with a score of 7.3 out of 10. The others here: Threema, Wire, Crypho and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Telegram?
SimpleX Chat is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 10 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.