Session

VS

Signal

Cybersecurity Comparison

Session vs Signal: Side-by-Side Comparison

Session
Signal
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.7/5
Free Tier
Yes
Yes
Trial Days
None
None
Pricing
Completely free and open source
Completely free, funded by donations
Company
Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation
Signal Foundation
Founded
2020
2014
Best For
High-risk activists needing fully decentralized untraceable encrypted messaging
Privacy advocates wanting the most trusted end-to-end encrypted messaging available

Pros & Cons

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Session

Decentralized network with no central server that can be seized or subpoenaed
Account requires no phone number, email, or any personal identifier
Onion routing hides IP address from the Session network itself
Open-source code audited by community security researchers regularly
Completely free with no ads and no data collection of any kind
Smaller network means message delivery can be slower than centralized apps
Fewer features than Signal including no voice or video calling support

Signal

Signal Protocol encryption is industry standard adopted by WhatsApp and others
No metadata collection; Signal cannot see who you message or when
Disappearing messages with customizable timer per conversation thread
Note to Self encrypted personal notes sync across all your devices
Completely free with no ads, no data collection, and open-source code
Requires phone number for registration exposing identity to contacts
Desktop app requires phone to be active for some notification features

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both Session and Signal support Privacy workflows. Signal has a slight edge with a 4.7 rating and The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. If Privacy is your primary use case, Signal is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both Session and Signal support Encryption workflows. Signal has a slight edge with a 4.7 rating and The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. If Encryption is your primary use case, Signal is the safer pick.

Which is better for Two Factor Authentication?

Both Session and Signal support Two Factor Authentication workflows. Signal has a slight edge with a 4.7 rating and The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. If Two Factor Authentication is your primary use case, Signal is the safer pick.

Which is better for Endpoint Security?

Both Session and Signal support Endpoint Security workflows. Signal has a slight edge with a 4.7 rating and The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. If Endpoint Security is your primary use case, Signal is the safer pick.

Which is better for Password Management?

Both Session and Signal support Password Management workflows. Signal has a slight edge with a 4.7 rating and The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. If Password Management is your primary use case, Signal is the safer pick.

Verdict

Signal edges out Session with a 4.7 vs 4 rating. Signal's main advantage: The gold standard encryption protocol used as the basis for all major secure messengers. That said, Session may still be the better choice if High-risk activists needing fully decentralized untraceable encrypted messaging.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

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