head to head · open source
Signal vs Wire
Signal has 29,568 GitHub stars, 6,933 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Wire has 2,557 stars, 180 forks, 173 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. Signal leads on adoption by 1,056% (29,568 vs 2,557 stars). Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0; Wire is written in various languages under GPL-3.0. Signal has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, Wire 7%. 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 | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 30K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | — |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-01-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 180 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Signal if
- You weight community size — 30K 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 Wire if
- You want the Wire feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- You evaluated both and Wire fits your workflow better
About Signal
Signal Android Signal is a simple, powerful, and secure messenger that uses your phone's data connection (WiFi/4G/5G) to communicate securely. Millions of people use Signal every day for free and instantaneous communication anywhere in the world. Send and receive high fidelity messages, participate in HD voice/video calls, and explore a growing set of new features that help you stay connected. Signal’s advanced privacy preserving technology is always enabled, so you can focus on sharing the moments that matter with the people who matter to you. Currently available on the Play Store and signal.org. Also available…
read the full Signal overview →
About Wire
Wire™ Open source The privacy page and the privacy and security whitepapers explain the details of the encryption algorithms and protocols used. For licensing information, see the attached LICENSE file and the list of third party licenses at wire.com. If you compile the open source software that we make available from time to time to develop your own mobile, desktop or web application, and cause that application to connect to our servers for any purposes, we refer to that resulting application as an “Open Source App”. All Open Source Apps are subject to, and may only be used and/or commercialized in accordance…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Signal or Wire more popular?
Signal has 29,568 GitHub stars and Wire has 2,557. Signal has the larger community by that measure.
Are Signal and Wire free?
Both are open source. Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wire under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Signal and Wire?
Signal is written in Kotlin and Wire in various languages. 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 Wire?
Choose Signal if you want the larger community (29,568 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Wire if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.