head to head · open source
Signal vs Tuta
Signal has 29,352 GitHub stars, 6,888 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Tuta has 7,920 stars, 638 forks, 1,001 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Signal leads on adoption by 271% (29,352 vs 7,920 stars). Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0; Tuta is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. Signal has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, Tuta 8%. Tuta 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 | Tuta | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 7.9K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 638 |
| 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 Tuta if
- You want the Tuta feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Tuta 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 Tuta
Tuta is an open source, end to end encrypted email, calendar and contacts service for individuals and teams who need private communication to work across every device they own.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Signal or Tuta more popular?
Signal has 29,352 GitHub stars and Tuta has 7,920. Signal has the larger community by that measure.
Are Signal and Tuta free?
Both are open source. Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tuta under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Signal and Tuta?
Signal is written in Kotlin and Tuta in TypeScript. 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 Tuta?
Choose Signal if you want the larger community (29,352 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Tuta if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.