Signal desktop is the easy pick if the person on the other end already uses Signal. But the trade-offs stack up once you spend a full workday in it. Setup demands a linked phone with the mobile app active. The account is tied to a phone number that any contact can see. Multi-device support still limits you to one desktop plus one iPad. If any of those hurt, these Signal alternatives for desktop give you end-to-end encrypted chat without the phone-number tether or the mobile-app dependency.
Everything below runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Six of the seven are open source. Prices range from free to about $5 per month.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price/mo | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session | No phone number, no email | Yes | Free | Onion-routed, no identifiers |
| Element | Federation and self-hosting | Yes | Free (self-host) | Matrix protocol |
| SimpleX Chat | Zero metadata | Yes | Free | No user IDs at all |
| Threema | Paid Swiss privacy | Trial | One-time $4.99 | No account required |
| Wire | Team collaboration | Personal free | $5.83/user | Guest rooms, MLS |
| Delta Chat | Email as transport | Yes | Free | Uses any IMAP account |
| Gajim | XMPP veterans | Yes | Free | Open standard, OMEMO |
Why people leave Signal on desktop
Users on Reddit and Hacker News keep circling the same pain points:
- Phone number requirement. Signal has been promising usernames for years. Usernames finally launched in 2024, but your account is still bound to a phone number, and stripping it from your profile is a manual step. If you want zero identifiers, Signal cannot get you there.
- Linked-device model. Desktop Signal is a companion, not a first-class client. You cannot register a Signal account from the desktop app alone. Losing the linked phone means losing history on that desktop.
- Backup and history are messy. Chat history does not sync across linked devices by default. Restoring on a new phone can wipe desktop conversations. This is well documented in the Signal community forum.
- Slow feature cadence. Signal ships privacy-first, which means new capabilities like federated groups, self-hosting, and public channels are unlikely to arrive. If your team needs them, you switch.
The alternatives
Session, best for zero identity
Session is a fork of Signal that removed the phone-number requirement, replaced Signal’s centralized servers with an onion-routed network run by service-node operators, and dropped all identifiers except a random Session ID. The desktop app is a Chromium build available for Windows, macOS, and Linux (AppImage and DEB).
Where it falls short: Onion routing adds latency, so voice and video calls are less reliable than Signal’s. Group chats have a member cap around 100. There is no account recovery beyond your recovery phrase.
Pricing:
- Free: full feature set, unlimited messaging
- Paid: none
- vs Signal: cheaper (both free), but Session offloads infrastructure cost to its node operators through a token model
Migrating from Signal: No importer. Session accounts have no phone number to migrate from. Rebuild your contact list by exchanging Session IDs or scanning QR codes.
Download: Session for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Session if a phone number in your messenger is a dealbreaker. Skip it if you rely on reliable voice calls.
Element, best for federation and self-hosting
Element is the reference client for the Matrix protocol. Anyone can run their own homeserver, and users on different servers can chat and share rooms with each other, the same way email works across providers. The desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with parity across platforms.
Where it falls short: End-to-end encryption is optional per room, not on by default, and cross-signing setup trips up new users. Performance in rooms with thousands of members lags behind Signal.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited on matrix.org or any public homeserver
- Paid: Element Server Suite hosting starts around $5/user/mo, self-hosting is free
- vs Signal: comparable at zero cost, but Element scales down to a team of one on a Raspberry Pi
Migrating from Signal: No direct importer. Move contacts manually. Matrix bridges to Signal exist, so you can keep talking to Signal users from Element while you transition.
Download: Element for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Element if you want the option to leave any provider without leaving your contacts. Skip it if you need every room encrypted by default with zero configuration.
SimpleX Chat, best for zero metadata
SimpleX Chat is the only messenger on this list that has no user identifiers at all. Instead of accounts, each contact pair uses a unique connection link. There is no directory to enumerate, no server-side social graph, and no phone number. The desktop app is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: No cross-device sync yet, so switching between laptop and phone means losing context. The connection-link model has a learning curve. Voice and video calls are usable but still marked experimental.
Pricing:
- Free: full feature set
- Paid: none
- vs Signal: cheaper, and the privacy model is stricter
Migrating from Signal: No importer. Share your SimpleX connection link with contacts one by one.
Download: SimpleX Chat for desktop
Bottom line: Pick SimpleX if you care about metadata resistance above every other constraint. Skip it if you need one seamless account across all your devices.
Threema, best for paid Swiss privacy
Threema takes a different route: pay a one-time fee, get a random 8-character Threema ID, keep your phone number out of it. The company is based in Switzerland and audited annually. Threema desktop is a native Electron app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that connects to the mobile client for provisioning, similar to Signal.
Where it falls short: The paid entry cost turns some people away, even at $4.99. Group features are lighter than Element or Wire. Contact discovery through phone hashes is optional but on by default.
Pricing:
- Free: 30-day trial via Threema Work
- Paid: one-time $4.99 for lifetime access
- vs Signal: pricier upfront, but the phone-number tie is optional and the company is subject to Swiss privacy law
Migrating from Signal: No direct importer. Threema has an ID export/import tool for moving between phones. Add Signal contacts by their Threema ID.
Download: Threema for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Threema if a paid, audited, Switzerland-based option fits your threat model. Skip it if you want a free, no-friction option for large groups.
Wire, best for team collaboration
Wire started as a personal messenger and pivoted to teams. The desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and includes guest rooms, conference calls up to 50 participants, and the MLS (Messaging Layer Security) protocol for scalable group encryption. Personal accounts are free with a paid Pro tier for teams.
Where it falls short: Personal accounts require an email address at signup. The company changed ownership several times in the past decade, which some users flag as a trust concern. Search is slower than Signal in large workspaces.
Pricing:
- Free: personal accounts, unlimited 1:1 messaging
- Paid: Wire Pro starts around $5.83/user/mo for teams
- vs Signal: comparable for personal use, better for teams
Migrating from Signal: No direct importer. Wire imports contacts from address books and supports CSV import for team rollouts.
Download: Wire for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Wire if you need encrypted messaging that also handles meetings, files, and external guests for a team. Skip it if you only chat 1:1.
Delta Chat, best for using email as transport
Delta Chat is a messenger that runs on top of any IMAP/SMTP email account. There is no central server, no phone number, no account signup separate from your existing email. The desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a browser build.
Where it falls short: Encryption is opportunistic through Autocrypt, so the first message to a new contact is unencrypted until they reply. Voice and video calls arrived recently but rely on external providers. Group performance depends on your email provider’s server behavior.
Pricing:
- Free: use any IMAP account
- Paid: none from Delta Chat itself, though a paid email provider may fit your privacy model
- vs Signal: cheaper and easier for people who already have a private email account
Migrating from Signal: No importer. Add Delta Chat contacts by email address. Existing email conversations show up as chats automatically.
Download: Delta Chat for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Delta Chat if you already have a mail account you trust and want to reuse it. Skip it if you want encryption enforced on the first message.
Gajim, best for XMPP veterans
Gajim is a desktop XMPP client with OMEMO end-to-end encryption. XMPP predates Signal by over a decade and remains the choice for anyone who wants an open standard rather than a company. Gajim runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and works with any XMPP server, from public providers to your own Prosody install.
Where it falls short: The XMPP ecosystem is fragmented, and server support for features varies. Onboarding is not friendly; picking a server, enabling OMEMO, and verifying contact fingerprints all take manual steps. Mobile parity depends on which XMPP client your contact uses.
Pricing:
- Free: on any public XMPP server, or self-hosted
- Paid: none
- vs Signal: cheaper, more configurable, less polished
Migrating from Signal: No importer. Publish your XMPP address and rebuild the contact list.
Download: Gajim for desktop
Bottom line: Pick Gajim if you want the longest-running open messaging standard and are comfortable with a bit of setup. Skip it if you want an install-and-chat experience.
How to choose
- Pick Session if removing the phone number is the whole point and you rarely make voice calls.
- Pick Element if you want federation, self-hosting, or a mid-size team on the same infrastructure without paying per-seat.
- Pick SimpleX Chat if metadata resistance ranks above cross-device sync.
- Pick Threema if you want a one-time payment, Swiss jurisdiction, and audited code without a monthly bill.
- Pick Wire if the messenger has to double as your team collaboration tool with meetings and guest access.
- Pick Delta Chat if you already trust an email provider and want zero new accounts.
- Pick Gajim if you care about open standards and are willing to configure your own client and server.
- Stay on Signal if most of your contacts are already there and none of the pain points above break your workflow. Signal is still the most polished secure messenger for casual use.
FAQ
Is there a Signal alternative for desktop without a phone number?
Session, SimpleX Chat, Delta Chat, and Gajim (over XMPP) all work on Windows, macOS, and Linux without asking for a phone number. Element only needs one if the homeserver enforces phone verification, which most public servers do not.
What is the best free encrypted messenger for desktop?
For most people, Session is the closest match to Signal in feel while dropping the phone-number requirement. If you want federation, Element is the strongest free pick. If metadata resistance matters most, SimpleX Chat wins.
Can I import Signal chat history into another app?
No. Signal encrypts local databases with a key tied to your account. None of the alternatives above can import that history. The pragmatic path is to run the new app in parallel with Signal during the transition and let old conversations age out.
Does Signal desktop work without the mobile app?
Not for setup. You need the mobile Signal app installed and active to link a new desktop client. After linking, the desktop client can operate independently until re-verification is required.
Is Threema really worth paying for?
The one-time $4.99 covers lifetime access with no recurring subscription. For anyone who wants Swiss jurisdiction, audited code, and no phone number tied to their account, it usually pays off within a few months compared to any paid messenger with monthly fees.
