# Session vs SMData

The clearest difference is chart position: Session at #107 against SMData's unranked. SMData's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Session sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and SMData sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | SMData |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Loki Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465686521) | [Zied CHEHEIBI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625750649) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

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

**Currently charting:** #107 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


### SMData

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smdata/id1625760492)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SMData Premium | $24.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

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

### Is SMData free?

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

### Do Session or SMData have ads?

Neither Session nor SMData shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Session or SMData?

Session ships an update fortnightly, and SMData fortnightly. Most recently, Session was updated on November 1, 2026 and SMData on October 24, 2026.

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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.*