head to head · open source
Signal vs Ente
Signal has 29,352 GitHub stars, 6,888 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Ente has 28,935 stars, 1,802 forks, 229 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Signal leads on adoption by 1% (29,352 vs 28,935 stars). Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0; Ente is written in Dart under AGPL-3.0. Signal has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, Ente 6%. Signal was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Signal | Ente | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 29K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | Dart |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 1.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Signal if
- You weight community size — 29K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Ente if
- You want the Ente feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Dart
- You evaluated both and Ente fits your workflow better
About Signal
Signal Android is a secure messaging application for Android devices that delivers private communication via end to end encryption. Developed by Signal Messenger, LLC, it operates within the broader Signal ecosystem, which includes official iOS and desktop clients. The app uses mobile data or Wi Fi to send and receive encrypted messages, voice calls, and video calls without relying on traditional SMS or telephony infrastructure.
read the full Signal overview →
About Ente
Ente is a fully open source, end to end encrypted platform for storing photos, documents and credentials in the cloud, packaged as a monorepo of client apps and a server, and intended for people who want the features of Google Photos, Apple Photos and Authy without having to trust the service provider with their data.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Signal or Ente more popular?
Signal has 29,352 GitHub stars and Ente has 28,935. Signal has the larger community by that measure.
Are Signal and Ente free?
Both are open source. Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Ente under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Signal and Ente?
Signal is written in Kotlin and Ente in Dart. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Signal or Ente?
Choose Signal if you want the larger community (29,352 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Ente if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.