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Session vs Telegram: catalog facts
Session	Telegram
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0, run by the Session Technology Foundation.	Free The apps are free to download and use.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
No phone number or email needed; the account is a random ID Onion routing hides your address from recipients and from the network	Chats sync across phones and desktop computers Large groups, channels and bot platform
Losing your recovery phrase means losing the account with no reset Delivery can be slower than a centralised messenger	Relies on Telegram's central servers Apps are open source but the server software is not published
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.