# Session vs deskpop

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: deskpop at none against Session's 3. deskpop also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 61%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Session's advantage is ratings volume (5.3K vs 31) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

deskpop holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 5.3K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Session's written reviews are positive against 96% of deskpop's.

Session ships an update fortnightly, deskpop every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | deskpop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews) | **[4.8 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deskpop/id6758696055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.3K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **96.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Loki Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465686521) | [Adam Delaney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735375324) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

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

**Currently charting:** #102 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


### deskpop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deskpop/id6758696055)

This app serves as a daily challenge and community platform for fingerboard enthusiasts. Users can post video clips of their tricks, vote on submissions, and engage with a community of skaters. It offers a space to share content, build profiles, and stay inspired within the fingerboarding world.

**Highlights:** Daily fingerboard challenges, Post and vote on trick clips, Community feed for sharing, Follow other skaters, Build user profile and streaks, View winners and top placements

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

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

### Is deskpop free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Session or deskpop?

deskpop is rated higher. Session averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while deskpop averages 4.8 from 31 ratings.

### Do Session or deskpop have ads?

Neither Session nor deskpop shows ads.

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

Session ships an update fortnightly, and deskpop every 11 days. Most recently, Session was updated on October 27, 2026 and deskpop 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.*