# eljo vs BonChat

The clearest difference is ratings volume: BonChat at 59K against eljo's 4. eljo's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

eljo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BonChat has 59K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

eljo ships an update every 2 weeks, BonChat every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | eljo | BonChat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eljo/id1659876862/reviews)** | [4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonchat/id6701998686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **59K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 55.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 100 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [My Circle LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694775163) | [Hong Kong CipherChat Tech Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769526889) |

## What reviewers say

### eljo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eljo/id1659876862)

A secure messaging application for building trusted communication circles with friends, family, and groups. It prioritizes user privacy and allows for the creation of close-knit communities.

**Highlights:** Secure messaging, Build trusted circles, Connect with friends, Group communication, Privacy-focused

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### BonChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonchat/id6701998686)

This app offers secure messaging and file sharing with state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption. It provides options for private or on-premise server deployment, advanced group management, and a user-friendly interface. Enjoy seamless cross-platform communication with full control over your data.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Private/on-premise server deployment, Advanced group management, User-friendly interface, Cross-platform support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful training
- 💡 Useful updates and news
- 🔒 Safe and secure communication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inadequate training
- 🐛 Difficult to use
- 💬 Feature poor (can't hide online status, keyboard hides text area)

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add read receipts (two checkmarks when message is read)
- Improve keyboard and text area usability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is eljo free?

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

### Is BonChat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, eljo or BonChat?

eljo is rated higher. eljo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while BonChat averages 4.8 from 59K ratings.

### Do eljo or BonChat have ads?

Neither eljo nor BonChat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, eljo or BonChat?

eljo ships an update every 2 weeks, and BonChat every 4 weeks. Most recently, eljo was updated on October 4, 2026 and BonChat on October 17, 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.*