Signal vs. WhatsApp: What's the Difference?

WhatsApp and Signal are two of the most popular messaging and phone call apps on smartphones and computers. We tested both to see which one you should use if you had to choose just one.

Overall Findings

Signal and WhatsApp provide solid end-to-end encryption for both phone calls and messages. They each also support all major smartphone and computer operating systems. Signal does offer better protection for personal and device data, which makes it an excellent choice for communicating with security-conscious friends. Still, most of your contacts are likely already on WhatsApp due to its popularity, so that’s the app you’ll realistically find yourself using more.

WhatsApp’s increased focus on professional business tools and built-in social features will likely increase its popularity even more despite the knowledge that it sends some user and device data to its parent company, Meta (Facebook.)

Device Support: Both Have Apps for Most Major Platforms

Signal and WhatsApp each have impressive support for platforms and devices. Both services have official apps for Mac and Windows PCs, Android tablets and smartphones, and iPhones. The support isn’t equal, though, as Signal has an official iPad and Linux app while WhatsApp doesn’t. However, WhatsApp has a genuinely solid web app that can be accessed via most major web browsers on any device, including Linux computers.

Popularity: Way More People Use WhatsApp Than Signal

According to Statista's 2023 findings, WhatsApp boasts over 2 billion active users, while Signal has just around 40 million. For added context, WeChat has about 1.3 billion active users, Facebook Messenger 930 million, and Telegram 700 million.

These numbers mean that not only are your existing contacts likely already using WhatsApp, but they’re also more likely to be using one of several other popular messaging apps before they even consider using Signal. In my testing, I only had around 20 friends using Signal, while my WhatsApp contact list is now well over 100.

Security: Signal Is the Choice for the Security-Concerned

WhatsApp and Signal both feature end-to-end encryption, meaning the calls you make and the messages you send can only be read by the recipient, not by WhatsApp, Signal, or a third party. Each app also features a self-destruct message feature, which lets messages auto-delete themselves after a set amount of time.

Signal takes security more seriously than WhatsApp by not collecting user data. On the other hand, WhatsApp sends quite a bit of user data to its parent company, Meta, such as your phone number, contacts, app usage, device and user identifiers, and even your location. Officially, Facebook only collects this information to improve the WhatsApp user experience. If you’re concerned about your privacy, you may want to keep this data collection in mind.

Features: WhatsApp Has More Social and Business Tools

Signal and WhatsApp are relatively equal in phone call and messaging functionality. Each service also supports group chats with around 1,000 people, and a simple stories feature that functions almost identically to Instagram’s stories. In our testing, though, it was clear that stories aren’t a feature that Signal or WhatsApp users have much interest in using, as only one contact in WhatsApp had made one over the last 24-hour period.

In addition to the above features, WhatsApp boasts several dedicated business tools that allow business owners to communicate with customers and perform specific tasks such as ID checks and inventory browsing. WhatsApp also launched a channels feature in 2023 that will enable users to create and follow feeds similar to Telegram’s channels feature.

Final Verdict: WhatsApp Has More Features, but Signal Is More Secure

Signal and WhatsApp offer equal levels of end-to-end encryption for all communications, though Signal offers slightly more security by protecting user and device data. However, despite Signal’s extra protection, more of your contacts are likely already using WhatsApp daily, which means that you’ll be able to use it for communication with people you know almost immediately. You won’t need to convince many people to download and try WhatsApp, while much effort may be required to encourage friends and family to switch to Signal.

WhatsApp also has more added functionality with its channels feature, which can be used to follow brands and contacts like on a social network. The service’s support for businesses is also impressive, and it’s likely a company you frequent will encourage you to contact them via WhatsApp sooner rather than later.

Signal is a solid app for communicating with your security-conscious friends who already have the app installed. WhatsApp is the app that you and your contacts will use daily, even though its data policies aren’t as solid as Signal’s.