# Garmin Messenger™ vs Iridium Chat

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Iridium Chat at 100% against Garmin Messenger™'s 20%. Iridium Chat also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Garmin Messenger™'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Iridium Chat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Messenger™ has 14K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Garmin Messenger™'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Iridium Chat's.

Garmin Messenger™ ships an update every 3 weeks, Iridium Chat every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garmin Messenger™ | Iridium Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-messenger/id1550351929/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iridium-chat/id6476648492/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 19.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#88** | — |
| Size | 107 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [Iridium](https://appshunter.io/developer/634954979) |

## What reviewers say

### Garmin Messenger™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-messenger/id1550351929)

**Currently charting:** #88 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Communicate globally with friends and family, even without cell service. Pair with a compatible satellite communicator for secure messaging and SOS capabilities. Enjoy automatic network switching for reliable connectivity and real-time location sharing.

**Highlights:** Global messaging, Interactive SOS, Group messaging, Photo and voice messaging, Automatic network switching, Real-time location sharing (LiveTrack)

**Features:** Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Great messaging functionality
- 👍 Seamless cellular and satellite communication
- 🚀 Consolidated messaging experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Activation and verification issues
- 🐛 Pairing problems with InReach devices
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Difficult to use and navigate
- 👎 Lack of support for older InReach models

**Reported bugs**

- No verification code received
- App freezes during activation
- Inconsistent behavior between app and device
- Messaging not working in areas with no cell coverage

**Requested features**

- Ability to message non-Messenger contacts
- Improved contact management and syncing
- Apple Watch compatibility
- Ability to delete messages on paired devices
- Better integration with Garmin Explore app


### Iridium Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iridium-chat/id6476648492)

This app enables real-time, app-to-app instant messaging and image sharing globally via a satellite Wi-Fi device. It offers an always-on messaging experience, group chats, and location sharing.

**Highlights:** Real-time app-to-app messaging, Global satellite network access, Group chats up to 50 people, Image sharing with compression, Location sharing via clickable link, Contact syncing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garmin Messenger™ free?

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

### Is Iridium Chat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Garmin Messenger™ or Iridium Chat?

Iridium Chat is rated higher. Garmin Messenger™ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Iridium Chat averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Garmin Messenger™ or Iridium Chat have ads?

Neither Garmin Messenger™ nor Iridium Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garmin Messenger™ or Iridium Chat?

Garmin Messenger™ ships an update every 3 weeks, and Iridium Chat every 6 months. Most recently, Garmin Messenger™ was updated on October 31, 2026 and Iridium Chat on October 21, 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.*