| Protocol | Network model | Security | Chatrooms | Multidevice | Audio/Video | Protocol | Usage notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRC | Non-connected networks | TLS to server, e2e via user-side plugins | Advanced | Possible via "bouncers", 3rd party service | Some clients have poorly working out-of-band plugins | Ancient, with many restrictions | Legacy junk with many advanced clients |
| XMPP | Federated network | TLS, e2e plugins of various quality and success | Decent | Connection works, sync beside chatrooms is client's responsibility | Some clients have poorly working out-of-band plugins | Ill-fated, proemetic | Clients suck, it is not possible to implement the protocol while remaining sane |
| Telegram | Centralized, tied to phone numbers, can't registed from PC, owner threatens third-party clients if they modify the client too much | TLS, e2e optional, questionable quality and awkward to use | Decent | Good | Works but audio has annoying delays | Unimplementable abomination by sport programmers | FSB's best data gathering project in last 20 years |
| Whatsapp/Viber | Centralized, tied to phone numbers, proprietary AF | TLS, flimsy e2e which can be hijacked by the server | probably ok | Good | Probably works | lolwut | normie messenger with a bit of encryption flavor |
| Matrix | Federated network | TLS, e2e which kinda works | Advanced | Yes | Works | JS-age junk | clients are shiny but besides official Electron one offer poor experience |
| Jami | Decentralized, with some central kludges added | e2e | Vestigial | Yes | Works well | A mess based on SIP and others | Sometimes client stops working for no obvious reason and there is no way to find out what is wrong |
| Discord | Centralized, chases down 3rd party app users | TLS to the server, rest straight to NSA | Highly advanced | Yes | Yes | lol | sell your soul to three-letter agencies and special interest groups |
| Tox | Decentralized | e2e | Vestigial | Some clients offer some solutions | barely works | adhoc junk | clients suck |
| Signal | Centralized, tied to phone numbers | TLS and e2e | ok | yes | yes | unimplementable js brain rot junk | decent normie-friendly private messenger |
| Briar | Decentralized, tor-based | e2e | basic implementation with stupid threads | no | no | meh | good for messaging one device to one device |
| Session | Decentralized with some weird blockchain shit going on, in practice centralized | e2e | no? | yes | no | see Signal, it's its fork kludged for decentralization | no idea |