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Session vs Telegram Desktop: catalog facts
Session	Telegram Desktop
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0, run by the Session Technology Foundation.	Freemium Free to use. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription for larger uploads, faster…
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
No phone number or email needed; the account is a random ID Onion routing hides your address from recipients and from the network	Official client with published source and build instructions Cloud chats sync instantly across every device you sign in on
Losing your recovery phrase means losing the account with no reset Delivery can be slower than a centralised messenger	Ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted and Telegram holds the keys Secret chats are not available in the desktop client
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	Account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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