Signal לעומת WhatsApp

פלטפורמות

Signal פועלת על iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux. WhatsApp פועלת על iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS. הדבר הזה מכריע יותר השוואות מכפי שהיה ראוי: שירות מצוין שאינו זמין במכשיר שבידכם אינו מועמד כלל, ולקוח למחשב שולחני חשוב יותר מכפי שנדמה כשהחלופה היא להחזיק טלפון צמוד לאוזן במשך שעה.

לפי הפרסום של Signal

• none
• No calling credit is used; Signal is donation‑supported and uses internet data only.
• $0 (donation‑supported, no subscription required).

לפי הפרסום של WhatsApp

• none
• No calling credit is used for consumer WhatsApp; usage depends on internet connectivity provided by the user’s operator or Wi‑Fi.

לפי הפרסום של Signal

Users register with a mobile phone number, receive an SMS or call for verification, and then can use Signal across devices (linked desktop clients).

לפי הפרסום של WhatsApp

Registration requires a mobile phone number for SMS or call verification; the number serves as the primary account identifier.

לפי הפרסום של Signal

Signal is provided for free by the non‑profit Signal Foundation; no recurring subscription or per‑minute call charges apply for app‑to‑app usage.

לפי הפרסום של WhatsApp

Consumer app has no in‑app subscription for calling; WhatsApp Business is also free to download, with business API usage billed separately by Meta partners.

Signal

Signal אינו מפרסם תעריפים לפי מדינה מחוץ לאפליקציה שלו.

מקור, כפי שנרשם: Signal documentation and app‑store descriptions; no PSTN outbound calling feature is provided.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp אינו מפרסם תעריפים לפי מדינה מחוץ לאפליקציה שלו.

מקור, כפי שנרשם: WhatsApp consumer apps do not provide paid PSTN calling; calls are app‑to‑app over data.

Signal

• End‑to‑end encryption for all messages and calls by default using the Signal Protocol.
• Supports one‑to‑one and group voice and video calls.
• Open‑source client and protocol, with publicly available code for auditing.
• Minimises metadata collection, with the foundation claiming to retain almost no data about users or their contacts.
• Desktop apps linked to a primary mobile device allow multi‑device usage.
• Supports disappearing messages with configurable timers.
• Operated by the non‑profit Signal Foundation, funded through donations rather than advertising.
• Available globally via major app stores without monthly fees.

WhatsApp

• Provides end‑to‑end‑encrypted messaging and voice/video calls between WhatsApp users.
• Supports group chats and group voice/video calls (up to 32 participants on mobile as per recent app descriptions).
• Available on mobile apps, WhatsApp Web, and desktop clients, with chats synced across devices.
• Uses phone numbers as identifiers, eliminating separate usernames.
• Offers free international messaging and calls over data without per‑minute charges from WhatsApp itself.
• Owned and operated by Meta Platforms, Inc.
• WhatsApp Business app adds business‑oriented messaging tools while using the same underlying calling and messaging infrastructure.
• As of 2020 it had more than 2 billion active users worldwide, and remains one of the most widely used messaging apps globally.

Signal

• Some users and organisations find phone‑number‑based registration limiting or privacy‑sensitive despite Signal’s design.
• Signal’s user base (roughly tens of millions of monthly users) is smaller than major messaging competitors, which can limit network effects.
• Certain governments have intermittently blocked or throttled Signal, causing connectivity problems in those regions.

WhatsApp

• Some reviewers express concerns about metadata and data sharing with parent company Meta, despite message content being end‑to‑end encrypted.
• Enterprise and privacy‑focused reviewers sometimes criticise limited multi‑device independence, as a phone number and device are still central to account setup for most users.
• Crowded chats and high message volume can make long‑term conversation management difficult according to user reviews on app‑analysis sites.