With so many messaging apps available, it’s important to evaluate which options are most important to you when choosing an app. Due to their popularity and features, WhatsApp and Signal are among the most popular chat apps. Each has strengths, but they are not perfect.
This article compares the two apps to help you decide whether to use WhatsApp or Signal.
Platform Compatibility
Signal is available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux. WhatsApp is available there, but it is also compatible with Chrome OS as it has a web browser version. However, you will still need to download the app on your phone to verify a phone number.
WhatsApp has also recently included an option to move chat history between platforms in case you use more than one. In this category, WhatsApp has an edge over Signal.
Limitations on the number of devices
Some third-party messaging apps limit the number of devices you can connect to their service per account. Signal puts that limit at five devices. Although you can access your Signal account from five devices, you can only log in on one phone at a time.
WhatsApp limits each account to four devices. WhatsApp allows you to log in on each device independently and each one will receive messages simultaneously. If you’re a small business owner, you can have an employee reply to WhatsApp messages from their phone without you having to log out of yours. However, if the primary device becomes idle, all other devices will automatically log out.
Easy to use
WhatsApp has long been known for its simple and intuitive user interface, making it a great first chat app. Signal is less customizable and not as easy to use, but it contains more features overall. WhatsApp wins in the ease of use category, but it may not be able to accomplish everything you need.
Offline support
WhatsApp has added offline support, allowing you to view your messages even when your phone is in airplane mode or disconnected from Wi-Fi. Signal doesn’t have this capability yet, so WhatsApp takes the advantage here.
Privacy
Signal boasts that no matter what, “no one can read your messages or listen to your calls,” including Signal itself. All messages are “end-to-end” encrypted, meaning they are secure at both the sending and receiving end. Even group chats are securely encrypted this way. Signal does not store delivered messages on servers and retains undelivered messages for a much shorter time than WhatsApp. Signal also does not access any personal information except your phone number.
WhatsApp is also end-to-end encrypted in both direct and group chats. It says the app can’t see your messages, nor can anyone else. However, WhatsApp has been the center of many privacy discussions lately. A 2021 change to their privacy policy allows them to access users’ personal data: location, purchase history, usage statistics, and more.
Although these security concerns have caused many users to flee WhatsApp to other third-party messengers, it remains to be seen if the concerns are founded. If privacy is your biggest concern, you might get carried away with Signal.
Additional Signal Privacy Options
Because of Signal’s concern for privacy, you can lock the app with a biometric or algebraic password. There is also the option to add two-factor authentication (2FA). Screen security is maximized with a feature that makes the Signal app appear blank to others when you switch to another app.
IP addresses are automatically hidden and you can hide your identity on voice calls if you wish. An interesting addition to Signal is a photo editor. You can blur any faces or information in photos before sending them. Signal is overwhelmingly the most secure messaging app available. Interviews with their president and board of directors consistently show that security and privacy are their top priorities as a company.
Starting screen
Since layout is a matter of personal preference, it’s not easy to say which app has the “best” home screen. We can say that Signal has a very clean look, popular among users who like a streamlined interface. WhatsApp is not as clean but it has more features available from the home screen.
Personalization
With Signal, the app theme can be in Light or Dark mode. For message text, there are four preset options for font size. WhatsApp is very similar. Light and Dark modes are available, as well as three font sizes for messages. You can also change the wallpaper behind conversations.
Group chats
Most of the group chat options on Signal and WhatsApp are very similar. One difference is that Signal limits the group chat size to 1,000 members. WhatsApp only allows 256 people in a group chat, although this limitation will not bother many users. Signal allows invitations via QR code or link and group chat administrative controls. WhatsApp also supports administrative functions.
Messaging apps tie in this category unless you think you’ll need groups larger than 256. In that case, Signal is the winner.
Video call
Both Signal and WhatsApp support voice and video calls. Both apps offer the same excellent end-to-end encryption on video calls as they do on messaging. Group calls are allowed, but both apps limit group calls to a maximum of eight people. With video calling, the process is a little different in the two apps, but the specifications are more or less the same.
File sharing
WhatsApp allows sending files and media. You can share your location, but only if you specifically give the app permission to track your location. Disappearing messages are an extra feature of WhatsApp in case you want the record of a message not to be kept indefinitely.
Signal also allows file and media sharing, but images will not be sent if they are larger than 6 MB and files must be smaller than 100 MB. Signal also offers a low data calling mode as an added benefit in case you have a monthly usage limit.
Supporting information
While WhatsApp offers local and cloud backup, Signal only offers local backup. This is a benefit of WhatsApp unless security is your main concern, because WhatsApp does not encrypt the backups it makes. The metadata used to communicate is also not encrypted. Signal encrypts metadata and local files with a four-digit passcode. Depending on your privacy concerns, this could be an advantage or disadvantage for WhatsApp.
Use of ads
Signal is owned by the non-profit Signal Foundation, so it does not use ads to increase its profits. Its main goal is to standardize technology that does not collect customer data or use targeted advertising.
WhatsApp is operated by Facebook, so ads and data collection are a given.
Base user
The current user base is much larger for WhatsApp than Signal, but if WhatsApp continues to have privacy issues, that could definitely change. When WhatsApp privacy information was made public, Business Insider reported a 4,200% increase in downloads by Signal users in one month.
WhatsApp vs. Signal – Verdict
Any third-party messaging app can keep you in touch with your contacts. Depending on what’s most important to you, the pros and cons of each app can tip the balance in favor of which one you choose.
If you need more privacy, more features, or texting in larger groups, Signal is the app for you. If you care most about offline support, web browser options, sharing larger files, or disappearing messages, WhatsApp’s benefits outweigh its challenges. No app is a bad choice for a third-party messaging app.
Has this list helped you select a messaging app? Tell us what you chose and which options are most important to you in the comments below.
