More and more users are switching from WhatsApp to Signal. What are the most important differences between the apps? You need to know this.
Signal vs WhatsApp
Signal is becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. The application is a good alternative to WhatsApp, because Signal has many similarities with that chat service. Yet there are also a number of important differences between the messaging services. Do you want to switch and are you curious what the differences between the two apps are? We put the five most important differences for you.
1. Companies behind Signal and WhatsApp
Signal and WhatsApp fall under two completely different companies. That is an important difference between the two messaging services, because these organizations and have other purposes. Signal falls under the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization non-profit. This organization runs on donations and has no interest in profit. As a result, your data is not a source of income at Signal.
That is different at WhatsApp, because that service is part of Meta. Facebook and Instagram fall under the same company. Meta is a commercial company that is aimed at making as much profit as possible. That is the big difference between Signal and WhatsApp, because the latter makes choices in favor of the company. At Signal, the user interests are paramount.
2. Privacy and data collection
The companies behind Signal and WhatsApp have different purposes and that can be seen in the way your data is handled. At WhatsApp your data is collected on a large scale. This concerns metadata (data from data), where information about your communication is stored. The content of your messages remain shielded, but it is visible who your contact persons are, when you communicate with whom, what your IP address is and at what location you are.
This information is shared with Meta and used to improve targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, for example. At Signal that is very different, because there is virtually no metadata collecting from you. This way Signal does not know contacts and your data is not used for (targeted) advertisements. At Signal your privacy is therefore much better guaranteed than at WhatsApp. Another advantage: at Signal you can hide your telephone number, with WhatsApp that is not possible.
3. Source code (not) public
Do you want to know what exactly happens to your data? In that case there are important differences between Signal and WhatsApp. Signal is completely open source, which means that both the application and the encryption protocol are public for everyone. In this way, experts can check what happens to your data. They see which data is collected and how that happens. This reduces the risk of unwanted data collection.
With WhatsApp, the source code of the application is closed. This means that independent experts cannot fully check what the app does with your data in the background. Only Meta employees can see what happens to your data. Do you want to know what happens to your information? Then at WhatsApp you have to rely on what the company says, while Signal can be checked.
4. IPad
WhatsApp has been used on the iPhone for years. On the iPad that is a completely different story, because WhatsApp still has no special application for the tablet. You cannot therefore fully use the messaging service on the iPad. It is possible to use the web version of WhatsApp, but a separate application is still missing. For the time being it does not seem that WhatsApp comes with an iPad app.
At Signal that is different, because that service did develop an application for the iPad. This app works almost the same as on the iPhone, but of course with more screen space. You link the iPad version to your phone and then switch between your devices without any problems. That is a big advantage of Signal, with WhatsApp you are limited to your iPhone. A number of functions are still missing in the web version of WhatsApp.
5. Users
The most important part of a messaging service is the number of active users. WhatsApp has no less than 2.7 billion monthly users worldwide. That number is much lower at Signal, where it is 40 million monthly users. That is a disadvantage for Signal, because there are fewer contacts and companies represented on that app. There is a chance that all your friends, family and colleagues already have an account on Signal.
With WhatsApp that is the case, which makes that messaging service more attractive to use. Do you want to switch to Signal? Then there is a good chance that you will continue to use WhatsApp (for the time being) next to it, so that you will also stay in contact with all users who have not yet switched to Signal. Unfortunately, it is not (yet) possible to send messages from an account on WhatsApp to a profile on Signal. Here we explain how to switch from WhatsApp to Signal without any problems.
Signal vs WhatsApp: Conclusion
WhatsApp and Signal have almost the same functions. Both services are aimed at sending text, speech or video areas to contacts and can be used for free. We see the reading certificates, end-to-end discoloration and speech or video calls at both WhatsApp and Signal. The features are therefore the same, but there are major differences behind the applications.
With Signal, your data is not used for commercial purposes, while that is the case with WhatsApp. Signal is part of a non -profit organization, where you can see what happens to your data and your privacy is guaranteed. WhatsApp is part of Meta, a company that is aimed at making as much profit as possible and uses your data for that. Signal has important advantages, but has far fewer users than WhatsApp. That is the reason that WhatsApp will remain popular for the time being, until the majority of your friends and family can also be reached via Signal.
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