Messenger
Requirements / Order
We have only included services that meet the following requirements:
- Client is open source
- Does not use trackers
- Uses end-to-end encryption
- Current security audit is available (not more than three years old)
We tried to weigh the pros and cons of each service appropriately. The services are shown in descending order; if multiple services share first place, the order is random.
Threema
Has its own infrastructure in Switzerland
Can be used anonymously
Simple and user-friendly
It’s not free
Mostly users in Europe
Outdated desktop app
Signal
Very simple and easy to use
Worldwide use
Widely recognized encryption protocol
Requires phone number
Outsourced infrastructure
Non-transparent financing
Session
Decentralized
Anonymous
Bypasses censorship (onion routing)
Difficult to use
No Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS)
No individual calls (beta) and group calls
SimpleX
Decentralized
No identifiers whatsoever (anonymous)
Modern architecture
Difficult to use
Questionable financing
No group calls
Element
Supports federated networks
Can be used anonymously
Transparent financing
Difficult to use
Leaves a lot of metadata
More suitable for organizations
Briar
Decentralized
Anonymous
Usable without Internet
Difficult to use
iOS is not supported
No voice messages or calls