# Session vs SimpleX Chat

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SimpleX Chat at none against Session's 3. Session's advantage is ratings volume (4.6K vs 268). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Session sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. SimpleX Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Session against 4.3 for SimpleX Chat. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 4.6K ratings behind it against 268, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Session's written reviews are positive against 56% of SimpleX Chat's.

Session ships an update fortnightly, SimpleX Chat every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | SimpleX Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews) | [4.3 (268 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplex-chat-secure-messenger/id1605771084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.6K** | 268 |
| Positive reviews | **61.0% of reviews** | 56.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | #192 |
| Size | 96 MB | 193 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Loki Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465686521) | [SimpleX Chat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605771086) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Anonymous account creation, Decentralized server network, No metadata logging, IP address protection, End-to-end encrypted group chats, Secure file sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Session Pro | $4.49 | per month |
| Session Pro | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| Session Pro | $35.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Secure and private messaging
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 No phone number or personal data required
- 💡 Innovative use of blockchain and Tor network

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable notifications and message delivery
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Slow media file transfers
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Limited features compared to competitors

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### SimpleX Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplex-chat-secure-messenger/id1605771084)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

This secure messaging app offers unparalleled privacy by eliminating user identifiers. Enjoy end-to-end encrypted messages, calls, and files with features like disappearing messages and incognito mode. Connect via invitation links without needing phone numbers or emails.

**Highlights:** No user identifiers, End-to-end encrypted messages, Disappearing messages, Incognito mode, Encrypted file and voice messages, Secret chat groups, Encrypted portable chat database

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 End-to-end encryption and quantum-resistant security
- 🔐 No phone number or personal data required
- 👤 Anonymous profiles and multiple identities
- 🚀 Fast message delivery when working properly
- 🎯 Decentralized and open-source architecture

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and instability
- 📬 Delayed or missing notifications (20+ minutes common)
- ⌨️ Keyboard issues on iOS (freezing, unresponsive)
- 🔌 Poor connectivity and message delivery failures
- 📱 iPad version not optimized

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup (v6.2 update)
- Keyboard unresponsive on iOS 26
- Messages not appearing until app is opened
- Notifications not working despite correct settings
- Chat freezing and lag on iPhone

**Requested features**

- Read receipts option
- Typing indicators
- Bot maker feature like Telegram
- Multiple image attachment with descriptions
- Better emoji reaction selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

Session is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SimpleX Chat free?

SimpleX Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Session or SimpleX Chat?

Session and SimpleX Chat are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.6K and 268 ratings respectively.

### Do Session or SimpleX Chat have ads?

Neither Session nor SimpleX Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Session or SimpleX Chat?

Session ships an update fortnightly, and SimpleX Chat every 2 weeks. Most recently, Session was updated on October 1, 2026 and SimpleX Chat on October 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Session or SimpleX Chat?

Session currently peaks at #87 in the App Store charts, and SimpleX Chat at #192. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*