# Session vs AdHoc DM

The clearest difference is rating: AdHoc DM at 5.0 against Session's 4.4. AdHoc DM also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Session's advantage is ratings volume (5.3K vs 2) and chart position (#98 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. AdHoc DM asks for nothing beyond the download.

AdHoc DM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 5.3K ratings behind it against 2, 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 100% of AdHoc DM's.

Session ships an update fortnightly, AdHoc DM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | AdHoc DM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adhoc-dm/id6768120356/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.3K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#98** | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 56 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) | [Tall Oaks Ventures, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896541812) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

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

**Currently charting:** #98 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


### AdHoc DM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adhoc-dm/id6768120356)

A privacy-focused messaging app offering secure, end-to-end encrypted communication with an ephemeral relay system. It ensures messages are deleted after delivery, leaving no server trace. Connect instantly via QR code scanning without revealing personal information.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption (E2EE), Ephemeral relay system, Anonymous peer-to-peer communication, Secure media sharing, Instant QR code pairing, Local-only chat history storage, Message deletion on both ends

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

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

### Is AdHoc DM free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Session or AdHoc DM?

AdHoc DM is rated higher. Session averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while AdHoc DM averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Session or AdHoc DM have ads?

Neither Session nor AdHoc DM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Session or AdHoc DM?

Session ships an update fortnightly, and AdHoc DM every 3 weeks. Most recently, Session was updated on October 22, 2026 and AdHoc DM on October 19, 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.*