Comparison

Session vs Element X

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Anonymous account creation
  • Decentralized server network
  • No metadata logging
  • IP address protection
  • End-to-end encrypted group chats
  • Secure file sharing
Features
Read 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

About

Element X

Communicate securely and privately with instant messaging and video calls. This app offers robust features for individuals and communities, allowing you to own your data and choose where it's hosted. Enjoy real-time communication with synchronized history across all your devices.

Highlights
  • Real-time messaging
  • Video calls
  • Public and private rooms
  • Rich messaging features
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Data ownership and server choice
Features
Read full description

Freedom to communicate on your own terms For individuals and communities - private communication between family, friends, hobby groups, clubs, etc. Element X gives you fast, secure and private instant messaging and video calls built on Matrix, the open standard for real-time communication. This is a free and open-source app maintained at https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios Stay in touch with friends, family and communities with: • Real time messaging & video calls • Public rooms for open group communication • Private rooms for closed group communication • Rich messaging features: emoji reactions, replies, polls, pinned messages and more. • Video calling while browsing messages. • Interoperability with other Matrix-based apps such as FluffyChat, Cinny and many more. Privacy-first Unlike some other messengers from Big Tech companies, we don’t mine your data or monitor your communications. Own your conversations Choose where to host your data - from any public server (the largest free server is matrix.org, but there are plenty of others to choose from) to creating your own personal server and hosting it on your own domain. This ability to choose a server is a large part of what differentiates us from other real time communication apps. However you host, you have ownership; it’s your data. You’re not the product. You’re in control. Communicate in real time, all the time Use Element everywhere. Stay in touch wherever you are with fully synchronised message history across all your devices, including on the web at https://app.element.io Element X is our next-generation app If you’re using the previous-generation Element Classic app, it’s time to try Element X! It’s faster, easier to use, and more powerful than the classic app. It’s better in every way and we’re adding new features all the time.

Screenshots

Session4 screens
Element X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Session at 4.3 against Element X's 3.4. Session also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 40%) and ratings volume (4.6K vs 152). Element X's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Session holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 4.6K ratings behind it against 152, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Session's written reviews are positive against 40% of Element X's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Session versus Element X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSessionElement X
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4.6K ratings) — better3.4 (152 ratings)
Positive reviews63.1% of reviews — better40.2% of reviews
Number of ratings4.6K — better152
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#96 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB313 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperThe Loki ProjectVector Creations Limited

Customer experience

Session

All ratings4,592 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative12.3%
Written reviews701 reviews
Positive63.1%
Neutral11.7%
Negative25.2%

Element X

All ratings152 ratings
Positive57.2%
Neutral11.8%
Negative30.9%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive40.2%
Neutral19.5%
Negative40.2%

Bugs and 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

Element X

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Session

Subscriptions3
  • Session Pro$4.491 Month
  • Session Pro$11.993 Months
  • Session Pro$35.991 Year
None

Element X

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Session free?
Session is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Element X free?
Element X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Session or Element X?
Session is rated higher. Session averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Element X averages 3.4 from 152 ratings.
Do Session or Element X have ads?
Neither Session nor Element X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Session or Element X?
Session ships an update fortnightly, and Element X fortnightly. Most recently, Session was updated on September 23, 2026 and Element X on September 24, 2026.

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