Kik Messaging & Chat App vs Session
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kik Messaging & Chat App
Connect with friends and discover new ones through chat. Share photos, videos, GIFs, and games without needing phone numbers. Explore interests and join group conversations easily.
- Connect with friends
- Group chats
- Share photos, videos, GIFs
- Play games
- Meet new friends
- Username-based connection
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Get connected. Kik is way more than just messaging. It’s the easiest way to connect with your friends, stay in the loop, and explore – all through chat. No phone numbers, just pick a username. • Choose who to chat with one-on-one and in groups • Share pics, videos, gifs, games, and more • Meet new friends with similar interests Get on Kik now. Start chatting! You can read our End User License Agreement here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Session
This secure messenger prioritizes your privacy with a decentralized network and end-to-end encryption. It offers anonymous account creation, IP address protection, and private group chats without collecting any metadata. Share messages and files with confidence, knowing your communications are truly private.
- Anonymous account creation
- Decentralized server network
- No metadata logging
- IP address protection
- End-to-end encrypted group chats
- Secure file sharing
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Session is a new breed of private messenger, built on a unique network of user-operated servers spread all over the world. With no central servers, Session can’t leak or sell your data. And with Session’s private routing protocols, your messages are completely safe. No trackers, no leaks — send messages, not metadata. • Fully private account creation: No phone number or email needed to create an Account ID • Decentralized server network: No data breaches, no central point of failure • No metadata logging: Session doesn't store, track, or log your messaging metadata • IP address protection: Device IP addresses are never exposed to the person you're talking to or the servers holding your data • Closed groups: Private, end-to-end encrypted group chats for up to 100 people • Secure attachments: Share voice snippets, photos, and files with Session's secure encryption and privacy protections • Free and open-source: Don’t take our word for it — check Session's code yourself Session is free as in free speech and free as in free of ads and trackers. It is stewarded by the Session Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation dedicated to advancing digital rights and innovation. Take back your online privacy today — download Session. Want to build from source, report a bug, or just take a look at our code? Check out Session on GitHub: https://github.com/session-foundation/session-ios Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Session Terms of Service: https://getsession.org/terms-of-service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Session at none against Kik Messaging & Chat App's shown. Session also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 36%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Kik Messaging & Chat App's advantage is ratings volume (486K vs 5.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Kik Messaging & Chat App sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Session sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Kik Messaging & Chat App against 4.4 for Session. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kik Messaging & Chat App has 486K ratings behind it against 5.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Kik Messaging & Chat App's written reviews are positive against 61% of Session's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Kik Messaging & Chat App | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (486K ratings) | 4.4 (5.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.6% of reviews | 61.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 486K — better | 5.4K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #100 | #95 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 180 MB | 92 MB |
| Age rating | +17 | 17+ |
| Developer | Medialab - Kik | The Loki Project |
Customer experience
Kik Messaging & Chat App
Session
User reviews
Kik Messaging & Chat App
From 486K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💬 Great chat features
- 🌐 Connects people globally
- 🤝 Helps make new friends
Room to improve
- 🤖 Overrun by bots and spam
- 💤 Slow and laggy performance
- 📢 Intrusive and annoying ads
- 🔑 Account security issues
- 🔒 Lack of moderation and safety
Session
From 5.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 Secure and private messaging
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 No phone number or personal data required
- 💡 Innovative use of blockchain and Tor network
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications and message delivery
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Slow media file transfers
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Limited features compared to competitors
Bugs and requests
Kik Messaging & Chat App
Reported bugs
4 issues- Notifications not working properly
- Messages not sending or getting stuck
- Profile pictures not updating correctly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- Improved group management tools
- Option to disable live streaming
- Better chat organization and search
- Ability to delete messages across devices
- Restore previous video chat functionality
Session
Reported bugs
4 issues- Messages not syncing across devices
- Inability to join or view group chats
- Attachments and media not loading properly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- Add voice and video calling
- Implement self-destruct/ephemeral messaging
- Allow customization of chat backgrounds and themes
- Improve group chat functionality
- Add support for multiple accounts/identities
In-app purchases
Kik Messaging & Chat App
- Ad Free$2.991 Month
- Ad free (annual)$32.991 Year
- 100 Live Credits$0.99
- 500 Live Credits$4.99
- 2000 Live Credits$14.99
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- 3700 Live Credits$24.99
- 16500 Live Credits$99.99
- 70000 Live Credits$399.99
Session
- Session Pro$4.491 Month
- Session Pro$11.993 Months
- Session Pro$35.991 Year
Questions
Is Kik Messaging & Chat App free?
Is Session free?
Which has better reviews, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?
Do Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session have ads?
Which is updated more often, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?
Which is more popular, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?
Other comparisons
