Softwr

Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Flock vs Signal

Flock logo

Flock

Communication & Collaboration

Organized team communication platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Signal logo

Signal

All industries

Speak Freely

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flock the Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10; Signal signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account
  • They diverge on capability: Flock covers Team chat, Signal covers End-to-end encryption.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flock and Signal actually diverge.

Attributes where Flock and Signal differ
AttributeFlockSignal
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationAll industries
Founded20142010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Flock

  • Team chat
  • Channels
  • Threads
  • Polls
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Slack
  • Zapier

Only in Signal

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Disappearing messages
  • Screen security
  • Group chats
  • Voice calls
  • Video calls
  • No data collection
  • Open source protocol

Both cover

  • File sharing
  • Cloud deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Flock

  • Team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharingnot Signal
  • Running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspacenot Signal
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing for small teamsnot Signal

Signal

  • Private messagingnot Flock
  • Secure group communicationnot Flock
  • Confidential conversationsnot Flock
  • Journalism communicationnot Flock
  • Family messagingnot Flock

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Flock

  • The Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • Starter storage is 5 GB for the entire team, against 10 GB per member on Pro and 20 GB per member on Enterprise
  • Starter allows a single team admin and a single approved domain
  • Group video calls and screen sharing require the Pro plan; Starter is limited to 1-1 video calls
  • Group video calls are capped at 20 participants even on Enterprise
  • Single Sign-On and Active Directory sync are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise is quote only, with no published rate, and is positioned for organisations with 100 or more members
  • Unlimited auto-join and announcement channels require Enterprise; Starter and Pro get one of each

Signal

  • Signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account

Pricing, plan by plan

Flock

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chats
    • Channels
    • File sharing
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • API access

Signal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • End-to-end encrypted messaging
    • Voice and video calls
    • Group chats

Which should you pick?

Choose Flock if

  • You need team chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want channels.
Flock review

Choose Signal if

  • You need end-to-end encryption.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want disappearing messages.
Signal review

Questions people ask

Is Flock or Signal better?
Neither clearly leads. Flock starts at Free and Signal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flock or Signal?
Flock starts at Free and Signal at Free.
Does Flock or Signal run on more platforms?
Flock runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Signal runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
Can I use Flock for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flock best used for?
Flock is most often used for team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing, running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace, video conferencing and screen sharing for small teams. Of those, team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing and running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace are not what Signal is typically brought in for.
What can Flock do that Signal cannot?
Flock covers Team chat, Channels, Threads, Polls. Signal covers End-to-end encryption, Disappearing messages, Screen security, Group chats. Both handle File sharing, Cloud deployment, Windows support, Macos support.
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Related pages

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