Compare
How Crocodile compares with Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord and TeamSpeak. What we say another app does or lacks in privacy and encryption links to a source, and we say where they're ahead.
Last checked October 2026
| Crocodile | Signal | Telegram | Discord | TeamSpeak | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign up without a phone number or email | Pick a name; your account is a key on your device1 | Phone number required; usernames hide it, and phone-free sign-up is in a paid Android beta23 | Phone number required; usernames can hide it4 | Phone number required5 | Email or phone number required6 | The TeamSpeak 6 app asks for a myTeamSpeak account7 |
| Messages end-to-end encrypted by default, groups too | Every channel and DM8 | Every chat9 | Every chat10 | Only opt-in one-to-one Secret Chats; never groups11 | Text isn't end-to-end encrypted12 | Only some chats, and not by default13 |
| Voice end-to-end encrypted, groups too | Every call and voice room8 | Every call14 | Every call10 | Calls and conference calls, but not voice chats in groups15 | Since March 2026, except Stage channels16 | Encrypted between app and server, not end to end17 |
| Post-quantum key exchange | Every key exchange: X25519 + ML-KEM-7688 | PQXDH and the SPQR ratchet9 | Not announced10 | Not announced5 | Not announced16 | Not announced18 |
| Voice and messages go app to app, not through company servers | Through a member's app; servers only introduce1 | One-to-one calls can be direct; messages and group calls go through Signal's servers, encrypted14 | Calls can be direct; messages go through WhatsApp's servers, encrypted10 | One-to-one calls can be direct; messages go through Telegram's servers5 | Everything goes through Discord's servers16 | Everything goes through the server18 |
| Message history kept only on your devices | Never stored on servers (the opt-in mailbox holds sealed messages for up to 7 days)8 | Servers only hold encrypted messages until they're delivered19 | Servers only hold encrypted messages until they're delivered10 | Cloud chats are stored on Telegram's servers11 | Stored on Discord's servers12 | Chat history is kept on servers13 |
| Run your own server | Free: Docker, or one switch in the app20 | The server code is open, but the apps only use Signal's servers21 | No | No; only the apps are open source22 | No | Yes, with TeamSpeak's server software18 |
| Independent servers form one network | Anyone's server joins the same mesh; no company in charge1 | One service, run by Signal21 | One service, run by Meta | One service, run by Telegram | One service, run by Discord | Each server stands alone18 |
| Open source | Apps and servers20 | Apps and servers21 | No | Apps only22 | No | No |
| Community spaces with channels and drop-in voice rooms | Spaces, text channels and voice rooms | Groups and calls | Communities and voice chats23 | Groups, topics and voice chats15 | Servers, channels and voice channels16 | Servers and channels18 |
| Phone apps | Not yet: Windows, macOS and Linux today | Android and iOS24 | Android and iOS25 | Android and iOS26 | Android and iOS27 | Android and iOS28 |
| Video and screen sharing | Not yet; planned | Yes14 | Yes10 | Yes15 | Yes16 | Yes18 |
Yes Partly No
Signal is excellent for private messaging, and its post-quantum work is first-rate. It's a phone-first messenger run as one service, though. Crocodile is built for hanging out together: spaces with channels and drop-in voice rooms, push-to-talk, no phone number and no central operator.
WhatsApp encrypts chats and calls end to end, but it's closed source, tied to your phone number and run by Meta. Crocodile is open source, needs no number, and runs on servers anyone can operate.
Telegram is fast and full of features, but ordinary chats and all groups are stored on Telegram's servers in a form Telegram can read; end-to-end encryption is limited to opt-in one-to-one Secret Chats. In Crocodile everything is end-to-end encrypted, always.
Discord shaped how online communities hang out, and Crocodile will feel familiar if you've used it. Discord now encrypts calls end to end, but not messages, and everything goes through Discord's servers. Crocodile gives you spaces, channels and voice rooms with every message and voice frame encrypted end to end, and no company in the middle.
TeamSpeak is loved for low-latency voice and self-hosting. Its voice is encrypted between your app and the server rather than end to end, though, so you have to trust whoever runs the server. In Crocodile only the people in the room hold the keys.
A comparison that only shows wins isn't worth much. These are the places where Crocodile still has work to do.
The numbers in the table point here. Features change: if something is out of date, please tell us.
