Discord
Free tierby Discord Inc.
Voice, video and text chat built around communities.
- Low-latency group voice chat
- Organised community servers and channels
- Screen sharing and video calls
Free alternatives to Telegram Desktop
4 communication programs worth considering instead of — or alongside — Telegram Desktop.
Alternatives to Telegram Desktop
Signal
Open Sourceby Signal Foundation
The privacy benchmark for encrypted messaging.
- End-to-end encryption on by default
- Minimal metadata collection
- Encrypted voice and video calls
Zoom Workplace
Free tierby Zoom Communications
Ubiquitous video meetings with a usable free tier.
- Reliable on low-bandwidth connections
- Screen sharing and recording
- Virtual backgrounds
Mozilla Thunderbird
Open Sourceby MZLA Technologies
The leading free desktop email client.
- Unlimited email accounts
- Integrated calendar and contacts
- Powerful search and message filters
About Telegram Desktop
Telegram Desktop is a full-featured messaging client with cloud sync across all your devices, very generous file size limits, large group channels and optional end-to-end encrypted secret chats.
It is open source and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Below are 4 communication programs that cover the same ground — some open-source, some cross-platform, each free to use.
Telegram Desktop alternatives compared
| Program | Licence | Platforms | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord | Free tier | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Low-latency group voice chat |
| Signal | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | End-to-end encryption on by default |
| Zoom Workplace | Free tier | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Reliable on low-bandwidth connections |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Unlimited email accounts |
The alternatives in detail
Discord Free tier
Discord provides persistent community servers with topic channels, low-latency voice chat, screen sharing and video calls. Notable for low-latency group voice chat and organised community servers and channels. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
Signal Open Source
Signal provides end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls by default, collects essentially no metadata, and is run by a non-profit foundation. Notable for end-to-end encryption on by default and minimal metadata collection. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
Zoom Workplace Free tier
Zoom remains one of the most reliable and widely adopted video meeting platforms, with strong performance on poor connections. Notable for reliable on low-bandwidth connections and screen sharing and recording. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
Mozilla Thunderbird Open Source
Thunderbird is a full desktop email client handling unlimited accounts across IMAP, POP and Exchange-compatible services, with an integrated calendar, address book and strong message search. Notable for unlimited email accounts and integrated calendar and contacts. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
How to choose
2 are fully open source (Signal, Mozilla Thunderbird) — pick one of these if you value auditable code you can self-host. For the widest platform coverage, Discord, Signal, Zoom Workplace run on three or more operating systems.
All 4 are free to download from the publisher's own website, so installing two or three and testing them on your own files is the fastest way to decide — it costs nothing but a few minutes.