SimpleX Chat vs Knock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SimpleX Chat
This secure messaging app offers unparalleled privacy by eliminating user identifiers. Enjoy end-to-end encrypted messages, calls, and files with features like disappearing messages and incognito mode. Connect via invitation links without needing phone numbers or emails.
- No user identifiers
- End-to-end encrypted messages
- Disappearing messages
- Incognito mode
- Encrypted file and voice messages
- Secret chat groups
- Encrypted portable chat database
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SimpleX - the first messaging network without user identifiers of any kind (not even random numbers) - 100% private by design! Security assessments by Trail of Bits: 2022: https://simplex.chat/blog/20221108-simplex-chat-v4.2-security-audit-new-website.html 2024: https://simplex.chat/blog/20241014-simplex-network-v6-1-security-review-better-calls-user-experience.html SimpleX Chat features: - quantum resistant end-to-end encrypted messages, with editing, replies and deletion. - disappearing messages with opt-out per contact/group. - message reactions. - delivery receipts, with opt-out per contact or group. - multiple chat profiles, with hidden profiles. - app access and self-destruct passcodes. - incognito mode - unique to SimpleX Chat. - end-to-end encrypted images and files. - voice messages up to 5 minutes – also end-to-end encrypted. - "live" messages – they update for all recipients as you type them, every few seconds - unique to SimpleX Chat. - connect via one-time invitation links or via long-term public addresses. - secret chat groups - only group members know the group exists and who is the member. - end-to-end encrypted audio and video calls. - connection security code verification, for contacts and group members – to protect from man-in-the-middle attacks (e.g. invitation link substitution). - end-to-end encrypted push notifications (they contain only encrypted meta-data, not the actual content). - encrypted portable chat database - you can transfer your chat contacts and history to another device. - all local files and media are encrypted by default. - animated images and "stickers" (e.g., from GIF and PNG files and from 3rd party keyboards). SimpleX Chat advantages: - privacy of your identity, profile, contacts and metadata: unlike any other existing messaging platform, SimpleX uses no phone numbers or any other identifiers assigned to the users - not even random numbers. This protects the privacy of who you are communicating with, hiding it from SimpleX platform servers and from any observers. - complete protection against spam and abuse: as you have no identifier on SimpleX platform, you cannot be contacted unless you share a one-time invitation link or an optional temporary user address. - full ownership, control and security of your data: SimpleX stores all user data on client devices, the messages are only held temporarily on SimpleX relay servers until they are received. - decentralized proxied peer-to-peer network: you can use SimpleX Chat via your own relay servers and still communicate with people using pre-configured or any other SimpleX relay servers. - fully open-source code. You can connect to anybody you know via link or scan QR code (in the video call or in person) and start sending messages instantly - no emails, phone numbers or passwords needed. Your profile and contacts are only stored in the app on your device - relay servers do not have access to this information. All messages are end-to-end encrypted using open-source quantum resistant double-ratchet protocol; the messages are delivered via relay servers using open-source SimpleX Messaging Protocol. Please send us any questions via the app (connect to the team via the app settings!), email chat@simplex.chat or submit issues on GitHub (https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/issues) Ream more about SimpleX Chat at https://simplex.chat Get source code in our GitHub repo: https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat Follow us on X/Twitter (@SimpleXChat), Reddit (r/SimpleXChat/) and Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@simplex) for the latest updates.
Knock
This app simplifies coordinating game sessions with friends. It sends a single notification to your group, allowing them to respond instantly without opening the app. The lobby fills as people confirm, and you set the minimum number of responses needed to start.
- One-tap game invites
- Respond from notifications
- Customizable game thresholds
- Expiring invites
- Targeted nudges
- Mute squads
- No account required
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Getting four people into the same game takes fifty messages. Knock takes one tap. Tap Knock. Everyone in your squad gets a notification and answers right there — I'm in, in 30, or can't. Nobody has to open the app. Nobody has to read a thread. The lobby fills while you watch. You decide how many yeses make it a game — three of five is a game, and Knock knows that. The moment enough people are in, everyone sees it. WITHOUT OPENING THE APP Answer from the notification, the Lock Screen, the Home Screen widget, or the Dynamic Island. One tap, in place. NOTHING GOES STALE Knocks expire. A knock nobody answered quietly ends instead of sitting there for a day. Need a game later? Knock again. NOBODY GETS NAGGED A nudge reaches only the people who haven't answered — never the ones who already did. Mute any squad without leaving it. Set quiet hours and knocks arrive silently, waiting for you. SAYING NO IS FINE "Can't" is grey, not red. Declining a game isn't a failure, and Knock never treats it like one. No read receipts, no guilt, no streaks. NO CHAT, NO ACCOUNT Knock isn't a messaging app — the only text anyone types is their own name and an optional note of a few words. And there's no account: no email, no password, no sign-up. Open the app, pick a name, start knocking. No ads, no tracking, no analytics. Delete everything from Settings whenever you like.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Knock at 5.0 against SimpleX Chat's 4.3. Knock also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). SimpleX Chat's advantage is ratings volume (268 vs 2) and chart position (#204 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Knock holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SimpleX Chat has 268 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
SimpleX Chat ships an update every 2 weeks, Knock daily. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SimpleX Chat | Knock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (268 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 268 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #204 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 193 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SimpleX Chat | Kakhaber Sinauridze |
Customer experience
SimpleX Chat
Knock
Bugs and requests
SimpleX Chat
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashes on startup (v6.2 update)
- Keyboard unresponsive on iOS 26
- Messages not appearing until app is opened
- Notifications not working despite correct settings
- Chat freezing and lag on iPhone
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- QR code scanning not working on iPad
- Desktop-phone sync connection failures
- Auto-delete messages interrupting voice recordings
- Typing inserts extra characters
- iOS 17 keyboard autofill interferes with typing
- Chat object unresponsive but moveable (delete)
- Backup restoration key confirmation fails if contact offline
- Server switching not reflected in chats
- Cannot change sending server for stuck messages
- Connection errors when creating chat links
- Video upload takes hours
- Call notifications appearing in Russian
- Random photo auto-attachment during typing
- Unable to unsend or delete sent attachments
Requested features
14 requests- Read receipts option
- Typing indicators
- Bot maker feature like Telegram
- Multiple image attachment with descriptions
- Better emoji reaction selection
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- Mac desktop app
- Web app (PWA)
- iPad optimization
- Improved group discovery/search
- Global self-destruct message settings
- Pin photos in group welcome messages
- Chinese input method support
- Ringing tone during calls
- Speakerphone launch option before call pickup
Knock
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SimpleX Chat
No in-app purchases
Knock
No in-app purchases









