# Session vs messes.net

The clearest difference is update cadence: messes.net at daily against Session's fortnightly. Session's advantage is chart position (#101 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Session sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and messes.net sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Session ships an update fortnightly, messes.net daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | messes.net |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#101** | — |
| Size | 92 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Loki Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465686521) | [Aleksei Goriainov](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788417864) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

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

**Currently charting:** #101 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


### messes.net

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messesnet/id6798728937)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| messes.net monthly | $19.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

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

### Is messes.net free?

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

### Do Session or messes.net have ads?

Neither Session nor messes.net shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Session or messes.net?

Session ships an update fortnightly, and messes.net daily. Most recently, Session was updated on October 15, 2026 and messes.net on October 14, 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.*