Alternatives / Telegram
Looking for an open source Telegram alternative? We compared 5 open source messengers by license, encryption, federation, self-hosting, phone number requirements, and features. They range from Signal's private messaging to Matrix clients, a Discord-style chat, and a peer-to-peer app over Tor.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Signal | Private end-to-end encrypted messaging | AGPL-3.0 |
| Cinny | Clean Matrix client | AGPL-3.0 |
| Stoat | Self-hostable community chat | Primarily AGPL-3.0 |
| Quiet | Peer-to-peer messaging over Tor | GPL-3.0 |
| Twake Chat | Matrix messenger with bridges | AGPL-3.0 |
We looked for open-source messengers that overlap with Telegram's core: chats, groups, channels, media sharing, and calls. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, encryption, and self-hosting in its repository. Telegram is a centralized service whose server code is closed, so the alternatives differ in architecture: a centralized open-source service, federated Matrix, self-hosted community chat, and peer-to-peer. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Telegram publishes the source of its apps, but not its server, and regular chats are encrypted between you and Telegram rather than end to end. The alternatives here fill different gaps: Signal for private one-to-one and group messaging with a fully open-source server, Matrix clients such as Cinny and Twake Chat for federation, Stoat for community servers, and Quiet for serverless operation.
Signal is closest for everyday messaging, with groups, media, and calls, but it requires a phone number and lacks Telegram's public channels and bots. Stoat is closest for large communities with channels, roles, and moderation. Matrix clients offer federated rooms and bridges to other networks.
Cinny and Twake Chat are Matrix clients that connect to any Matrix homeserver, so you can run your own server and federate with other Matrix users. Twake Chat also offers bridges to more than 30 networks. Stoat can be self-hosted as your own community chat server. Signal is a centralized service, and Quiet is peer-to-peer.
Signal's apps and server, Cinny, Stoat, and Twake Chat are AGPL-3.0, and Quiet is GPL-3.0. Signal's service is run by the Signal Foundation and is free to use.
Signal, Cinny, Stoat, Quiet, and Twake Chat were all updated within days or weeks of this update. Twake Chat is a young project with a small community.
Telegram is a cloud messenger whose clients are open source but whose server is closed, whose default chats are not end-to-end encrypted, and which requires a phone number. Open-source alternatives provide end-to-end encryption by default, auditable servers, federation or self-hosting, and in some cases no phone number, at the cost of smaller communities and fewer bots and channel features.
| Alternative | Type | License | Architecture | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | Private messenger | AGPL-3.0 | Centralized | Private conversations |
| Cinny | Matrix client | AGPL-3.0 | Federated | Clean Matrix experience |
| Stoat | Community chat | AGPL-3.0 | Self-hostable servers | Discord-style communities |
| Quiet | Peer-to-peer chat | GPL-3.0 | P2P over Tor | Privacy without servers |
| Twake Chat | Matrix messenger | AGPL-3.0 | Federated | Teams with bridges |
Want the most trusted private messenger
Signal offers end-to-end encryption by default, groups, voice and video calls, and media sharing with an open-source client and server.
Want to run your own chat server for a community
Stoat offers servers, channels, voice, roles, and moderation, self-hostable and built in the EU with no ads.
Want a federated Matrix client with a clean interface
Cinny connects to any Matrix homeserver with end-to-end encryption and a simple, elegant interface.
Need no phone number and no central server
Quiet syncs messages directly between devices over Tor, with no phone number, email, or central server.
Need a team messenger that connects to other networks
Twake Chat is a Matrix messenger with bridges to 30+ networks, SSO, and on-premise deployment.