Delta Chat vs Session
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Delta Chat
This decentralized messenger offers private, secure, and reliable instant messaging. It allows for easy setup on multiple devices and supports multiple chat profiles without requiring a phone number. Enjoy end-to-end encryption and the flexibility to run it with your own email or server.
- Decentralized instant messaging
- Private onboarding without phone number
- End-to-end encryption
- Multiple chat profiles
- Works on multiple devices
- Self-hosted option
Read full descriptionHide full description
Delta Chat is a reliable decentralized instant messenger that is easy and fun to use for friends, family, groups and organizations. Delta Chat is developed by a dedicated FOSS contributor community that jointly releases refinements and new features several times a year, across many stores and platforms world-wide. Features at a glance: • Private. Instant on-boarding without a phone number or other private data. • Friends & Family: Only chat with people you know. Unknown users cannot message or follow you without mutual consent. • Flexible. Supports multiple chat profiles and is easy to setup on multiple devices. • Reliable. Works under bad and adversarial network conditions. • Secure. Audited End-to-End encryption safe against network and server attacks. • Sovereign. Can be run with your own e-mail address or server. • FOSS. Fully Open Source/Free Software, built on Internet Standards.
Session
This secure messenger prioritizes your privacy with a decentralized network and end-to-end encryption. It offers anonymous account creation, IP address protection, and private group chats without collecting any metadata. Share messages and files with confidence, knowing your communications are truly private.
- Anonymous account creation
- Decentralized server network
- No metadata logging
- IP address protection
- End-to-end encrypted group chats
- Secure file sharing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Session is a new breed of private messenger, built on a unique network of user-operated servers spread all over the world. With no central servers, Session can’t leak or sell your data. And with Session’s private routing protocols, your messages are completely safe. No trackers, no leaks — send messages, not metadata. • Fully private account creation: No phone number or email needed to create an Account ID • Decentralized server network: No data breaches, no central point of failure • No metadata logging: Session doesn't store, track, or log your messaging metadata • IP address protection: Device IP addresses are never exposed to the person you're talking to or the servers holding your data • Closed groups: Private, end-to-end encrypted group chats for up to 100 people • Secure attachments: Share voice snippets, photos, and files with Session's secure encryption and privacy protections • Free and open-source: Don’t take our word for it — check Session's code yourself Session is free as in free speech and free as in free of ads and trackers. It is stewarded by the Session Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation dedicated to advancing digital rights and innovation. Take back your online privacy today — download Session. Want to build from source, report a bug, or just take a look at our code? Check out Session on GitHub: https://github.com/session-foundation/session-ios Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Session Terms of Service: https://getsession.org/terms-of-service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Delta Chat at none against Session's 3. Session's advantage is ratings volume (5.2K vs 127) and chart position (#107 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Session sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Delta Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Delta Chat against 4.4 for Session. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 5.2K ratings behind it against 127, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Delta Chat's written reviews are positive against 61% of Session's.
Delta Chat ships an update every 3 weeks, Session fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Delta Chat | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (127 ratings) — better | 4.4 (5.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews — better | 61.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 127 | 5.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #107 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 92 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | merlinux | The Loki Project |
Customer experience
Delta Chat
Session
Bugs and requests
Delta Chat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Session
Reported bugs
4 issues- Messages not syncing across devices
- Inability to join or view group chats
- Attachments and media not loading properly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- Add voice and video calling
- Implement self-destruct/ephemeral messaging
- Allow customization of chat backgrounds and themes
- Improve group chat functionality
- Add support for multiple accounts/identities
In-app purchases
Delta Chat
No in-app purchases
Session
- Session Pro$4.491 Month
- Session Pro$11.993 Months
- Session Pro$35.991 Year
