Open Source Alternatives to Telegram
A messaging platform that provides cloud-based chat, voice, and video communication across multiple devices seamlessly with end-to-end encryption and large group support.
Whether you want to cut software costs or escape vendor lock-in, these open source alternatives to Telegram give you an option you fully own. You can self-host them, so your data stays on infrastructure you control. This page lists 6 open source alternatives to Telegram. The most popular are Signal, SimpleX Chat and Tinode. Most use the AGPL-3.0 or GPL-3.0 license, and 5 offer an official Docker image.
Signal
Encrypted messaging and calling that uses data connections for secure text, voice, and video communication.
SimpleX Chat
A privacy focused messaging platform that operates without user identifiers to protect metadata and identity.
Tinode
A federated instant messaging platform with a Go backend and native clients for mobile and web.
Fluxer
An instant messaging and VoIP platform for communities featuring Markdown support, voice and video calls, and self-hosting.
nheko
A native desktop client for the Matrix protocol designed to feel like a mainstream chat application.
Databag
A federated, self-hosted messenger featuring end-to-end encryption and topic-based threads for secure, decentralized communication.
Join our newsletter to get shiny new open source software delivered to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.