Signal review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Signal suits anyone who wants private messaging with no subscription to manage. Every message, call, group, sticker and story sits on the free plan, with no ads and no trackers, and the one paid extra, Secure Backups, costs $1.99 on an open source app.
Key facts
- Best for
- Private group messaging and calls on a free plan, with a paid archive tier on top.
- Price from
- $1.99 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- Free for everyone: all messaging, calls, groups, stickers and stories included, no ads and no trackers, funded by donations (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, Linux (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Logging policy
- No message or call content stored; only minimal technical data kept (authentication tokens, keys, push tokens, phone number) and limited to what is required to operate (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- US (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Signal Messenger, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
- Official website
- signal.org
Secure email
- Price from
- $1.99 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- Free for everyone: all messaging, calls, groups, stickers and stories included, no ads and no trackers, funded by donations (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- End-to-end encryption
- Messages, calls and profile data are always end-to-end encrypted; Secure Backup Archives are end-to-end encrypted with a 64-character recovery key never shared with Signal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- US (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Signal Messenger, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- WikidataWikipediaXgithub.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The free plan includes all messaging, calls, groups, stickers and stories, with no ads and no trackers, funded by donations.
- The app is open source and runs on Android, iOS and Windows.
Cons
- Support runs on email, help centre and community only.
- Secure Backups is the one item that costs money, at $1.99, so archiving chats needs a payment on top of the free plan.
- The operator is Signal Messenger, LLC, so it answers to US law.
Who it suits
- People who want end-to-end encrypted messages and calls without a subscription to manage.
- Groups and families, since groups, stickers and stories are all included on the free plan.
- Anyone who wants an open source app with builds for Android, iOS and Windows.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Hide My Email, if the only need is an email alias, since its aliases come free with an Apple Account and changing the Forward To address requires iCloud+.
- Apple Inc., for the same reason: free aliases need an Apple Account, and changing the Forward To address requires iCloud+.
- EasyOptOuts, which has no free plan, so the donation-funded free plan Signal covers is not on offer there.
How Signal compares
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 9.5
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.4
Frequently asked questions
What does Signal cost?+
Messaging, calls, groups, stickers and stories all sit on the free plan, with no ads and no trackers, funded by donations. The only priced item is Secure Backups at $1.99, a set price rather than a tiered subscription.
Which platforms does Signal run on?+
Signal publishes apps for Android, iOS and Windows. Every user on those platforms gets messaging, calls, groups, stickers and stories, and the client code is open source, so the apps can be inspected rather than taken on trust.
How is Signal funded and who runs it?+
The free plan is funded by donations, with no ads and no trackers. The operator is Signal Messenger, LLC, based in the United States and under US law, and the project was founded 2014.
How do I get help with Signal?+
Support runs on email, help centre and community. Account and backup questions go to email, the help centre or the community, and there is no phone line listed for anyone who prefers to talk a matter through.
Can I back up my Signal chats?+
Yes, through Secure Backup Archives, which are end-to-end encrypted with a recovery key that is never shared with Signal. That is the one paid item, priced at $1.99, while the rest of the app stays on the free plan.
Who is Signal a good fit for?+
Anyone who wants end-to-end encrypted messages and calls without a subscription, especially groups, since groups, stickers and stories are all in the free plan. Buyers who need to know who stands behind the service can see the operator, Signal Messenger, LLC, listed in plain terms.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software) checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Jul 2014 OWS releases Signal as a RedPhone counterpart for iOS.”
- signal.org checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Free plan limits, Pricing model, Support channels
“Free for Everyone”
- signal.org/brand checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Open source
“You may use Signal's open source under the terms of the AGPLv3 license.”
- signal.org/download checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Platforms
“Signal for Mobile ... Android ... iPhone or iPad ... Signal for Desktop ... Download for Mac ... Download for Windows ... Download for Linux”
- signal.org/legal checked September 26, 2026
Backs: End-to-end encryption, Headquarters, Jurisdiction, Legal entity, Logging policy
“Your calls and messages are always encrypted, so they can never be shared or viewed by anyone but yourself and the intended recipients.”
- support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/9708267671322-Signal... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Price from
“For a small monthly fee, you can also opt to store up to 100 gigabytes of media. What is the cost? $1.99 per month”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
Signal
Private group messaging and calls on a free plan, with a paid archive tier on top.