Compare software

gurk vs signal-cli: catalog facts
gurk	signal-cli
Best for: Signal users who prefer a keyboard-driven terminal client	Best for: Send and receive Signal messages from the command line
Free Free and open source under AGPL-3.0-only.	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and external services are separate.
Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Reads and sends Signal messages in a terminal Links as a new device using a QR code All 3 strengths for gurk Reads and sends Signal messages in a terminal Links as a new device using a QR code Provides precompiled binaries	Provides a daemon interface for notification integrations.
Requires linking the client to a Signal account	Requires a registered or linked Signal account.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: AGPL-3.0-only	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for gurk github.com/boxdot/gurk-rs Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for signal-cli github.com/AsamK/signal-cli github.com/AsamK/signal-cli/blob/master/LICENSE Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.