Dialog vs WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram

Checked in October 2026. These apps change often; if something is out of date, let us know.

All four are messengers with calls, groups and files. The big differences are what they ask for to create an account, what their operators can see and who controls the server.

	Dialog	WhatsApp	Signal	Telegram
Account without a phone number	Yes. You get a random account number.	No.	No. A number is required to sign up; a username can hide it.	No, as a rule.
End-to-end encryption for every chat	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.	No. Only in "Secret Chats", one-to-one, on phones.
End-to-end encrypted groups	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.	No.
Messages kept on the server	Only until delivered (at most 30 days if the recipient is offline).	Only until delivered.	Only until delivered.	Yes: regular chats are stored in Telegram's cloud.
Open source	Yes, apps and server (AGPL-3.0).	No.	Yes, apps and server.	Apps yes, server no.
Run your own server	Yes, with the same apps.	No.	Not in practice: the official apps only use Signal's server.	No.
Your address book	Not needed. Optionally, numbers are sent only as fingerprints to find friends.	Used to find your contacts.	Used to find your contacts, through a hardware-protected service.	Used if you allow contact sync.
Disappearing messages	Yes, also for messages already sent.	Yes.	Yes.	Yes.
Voice effects and anonymized voice	Yes, processed on your device.	No.	No.	No.
Run by	An independent open source project.	Meta.	The Signal Foundation, a non-profit.	The Telegram company.

Dialog vs WhatsApp

WhatsApp also uses the Signal protocol, so messages are well protected in transit. The difference is everything else: WhatsApp requires your phone number, uses your address book and belongs to Meta, which sees who talks to whom, when and from which device. Its code is not public. Dialog needs no phone number, and anyone can check the code of its apps and server.

Where WhatsApp wins: almost everyone already has it.

Dialog vs Signal

Signal is the standard for private messaging, and Dialog uses its own encryption library, libsignal. The differences: Signal requires a phone number to sign up, Dialog does not, and you cannot use the Signal apps with your own server. Dialog adds things Signal lacks: voice effects and an anonymized voice, several accounts on one phone, and automatic deletion of files after a number of days you choose.

Where Signal wins: it is older, better known and has been audited by many independent experts.

Dialog vs Telegram

Telegram is very popular for channels, large groups and bots, but regular chats and groups are not end-to-end encrypted: they are stored on Telegram's servers, which can read them. Full encryption exists only in "Secret Chats", one-to-one, on phones. In Dialog every chat and group is always end-to-end encrypted.

Where Telegram wins: public channels, bots and very large groups.

WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram are trademarks of their owners. This comparison uses public information and is for information only.