OpenVoice vs. Signal Messenger

OpenVoice works really well for large 80+ conference calls. We've hosted over 30+ calls on the system and never once had any service outages. It is a stable platform that works reliably!

Incentivized

Signal is best when you want to keep a conversation confidential. The whole premise of Signal is privacy, based on keeping location, contents, and what's in the content private. By having the delete function and the time limit on messages, as well as auto-delete, messages that are seen are not left on the device longer than they need to be. It's not appropriate for simple regular chatting or sending files that need to be shared. That's not its strong suit. What is its strong suit is the peace of mind that your confidential conversations are meant to be kept that way.

Incentivized

• Simple dial-in instructions.
• Multiple number choices to call in with.
• Recording!
• Web portal to control the call.
• Simple billing.

Incentivized

• Security - This is the main feature Signal is known for, and it's no joke. Signal's encrypted messaging is best in class and you can rest assured that it would be very difficult for a third party to intercept your messages.
• Filesharing - You can share all manner of files and audiovisual content through Signal in a secure way.
• Desktop/Mobile Sync - In order to sync your mobile installation of Signal to the desktop version, you have to use a QR Code, and do it every time you update. Old versions of Signal are no longer able to send or receive messages. This is a good and bad thing as it is a bit of a hassle, but it helps to add extra layers of security.
• Message Drafts - A nice feature where you don't lose messages you are in the middle of writing.
• Named Conversations - It's nice to be able to organize conversations
• Temporary Messages - You can send messages that will be deleted after a certain time, or when read.
• Video and Voice Chat - In addition to texting, Signal lets you make video and voice calls.

Incentivized

• No built-in video options.

Incentivized

• Needs to add video
• Add time zone information so you don't call at the wrong time
• Improve the interface, as it's too bland

Incentivized

It's been years since I've had to call into OpenVoice for any technical support issues. The main issues I had were more on the billing side, but those billing issues were cleared up quickly.

Incentivized

I've never contacted support but I see that they are on the ball for bug fixes, highly communicative in release notes, and continually releasing updates to Signal that address common user complaints. Given how responsive the development team is, and how they are continually improving Signal, I think their support is top notch.

Incentivized

OpenVoice provides a quick, simple way to gather users together for conference calls. We've tried using WebEx's audio bridge, but many times users find themselves confused by the prompts. We've tried numerous times to educate users on WebEx, but it always seems to fall back on OpenVoice.

Incentivized

The closest competitor we've found for Signal is Telegram. We do use Telegram with some clients and individuals who prefer it. Unfortunately, in this climate where there is no clear winner and a lot of diversity in applications, if you work with a lot of clients you're going to have to install a whole suite of instant messaging apps. Still, given the choice, we prefer Signal over its competitors, specifically for applications where high security is a concern.

Incentivized

• The built-in recording feature allows us to post recordings of conference calls with ease.
• Attendance to OpenVoice calls have been positive.

Incentivized

• Communication is crucial to accomplishing our mission
• Cost of similar commercial apps could be very prohibitive

Incentivized