# 55 Messenger vs Seagull IM

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 55 Messenger at none against Seagull IM's 13. 55 Messenger also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Seagull IM's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 65%) and rating (3.6 vs 3.3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Seagull IM sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. 55 Messenger asks for nothing beyond the download.

Seagull IM holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 77 and 46 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of 55 Messenger's written reviews are positive against 87% of Seagull IM's.

55 Messenger ships an update monthly, Seagull IM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 55 Messenger | Seagull IM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/55-messenger/id1481921442/reviews) | **[3.6 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seagull-im/id1584062834/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **87.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 236 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [OCTOPUS US LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481921441) | [Chengdu zhengdu Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504601973) |

## What reviewers say

### 55 Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/55-messenger/id1481921442)

Communicate with friends through text, voice calls, video, and photos. Enjoy instant video messaging and secure conversations with messages that disappear after being read. Effectively manage group chats with robust features.

**Highlights:** Text, voice, and video calls, Send photos, Instant video messaging, Trace-less messaging, Burn after reading messages, Group chat management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 💡 Powerful functionality
- 👍 Very practical
- 👍 Good looking interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not updating
- 🐛 Old version login issues
- 🐛 Cannot log in
- 🐛 Network errors
- 🐛 App crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Old version cannot log in
- New version cannot be used
- Cannot log in
- Network abnormal error
- Network connection unstable

**Requested features**

- Update the app
- Fix login issues for old versions
- Allow login with new version
- Improve notification delivery
- Add group chat functionality


### Seagull IM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seagull-im/id1584062834)

This secure messaging app offers end-to-end encrypted chats, voice, and video calls. It prioritizes user privacy with features like screenshot notifications and bidirectional deletion, making communication efficient and private.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Screenshot notifications, Bidirectional message deletion, Large group chat support, Voice and video calls, Application lock

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 海鸥1个月靓号服务券 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥3个月靓号服务券 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-1个月 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥6个月靓号服务券 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥12个月靓号服务券 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-3个月 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $47.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $59.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥 | $69.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-12个月 | $99.99 | one-time |
| 1298元欧币 | $199.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 55 Messenger free?

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

### Is Seagull IM free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 55 Messenger or Seagull IM?

Seagull IM is rated higher. 55 Messenger averages 3.3 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Seagull IM averages 3.6 from 46 ratings.

### Do 55 Messenger or Seagull IM have ads?

Seagull IM shows ads; 55 Messenger does not.

### Which is updated more often, 55 Messenger or Seagull IM?

55 Messenger ships an update monthly, and Seagull IM every 3 weeks. Most recently, 55 Messenger was updated on October 22, 2026 and Seagull IM on October 30, 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.*