h1. Notes on some messengers |_. 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":https://core.telegram.org/api/terms#4-breach-of-terms 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 | | Simplex | Decentralized, but still relying on servers, attempts to do some weird soft-censorship | Good | yes | ? | no | homebrew | ? |