# Council vs Veil

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Veil at none against Council's 1. Veil also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Council sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. Veil asks for nothing beyond the download.

Council ships an update every 3 months, Veil every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Council | Veil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/veil-encrypted-messenger/id6761669491/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 115 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Encom Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639959330) | [Ai Analytics LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850875488) |

## What reviewers say

### Council

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/council-encrypted-messaging/id1659946397)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Council annual subscription | $29.99 | per year |


### Veil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/veil-encrypted-messenger/id6761669491)

A private messaging app offering end-to-end encrypted text, voice, and video calls. It requires no personal information to create an identity and supports disappearing messages for enhanced privacy.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted messaging, Encrypted voice and video calls, Encrypted group channels, No phone number or email required, Disappearing messages, Identity backup and recovery

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Council free?

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

### Is Veil free?

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

### Do Council or Veil have ads?

Neither Council nor Veil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Council or Veil?

Council ships an update every 3 months, and Veil every 4 days. Most recently, Council was updated on October 7, 2026 and Veil on October 5, 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.*