# Kik Messaging & Chat App vs Session

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Session at none against Kik Messaging & Chat App's 8. Session also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (61% vs 36%). Kik Messaging & Chat App's advantage is ratings volume (486K vs 5.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kik Messaging & Chat App sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Session asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kik Messaging & Chat App | Session |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (486K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kik-messaging-and-chat-app/id357218860/reviews) | **[4.4 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **486K** | 5.4K |
| Positive reviews | 35.6% of reviews | **61.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #101 | **#98** |
| Size | 180 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +17 | 12+ |
| Developer | [Medialab - Kik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677859788) | [The Loki Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465686521) |

## What reviewers say

### Kik Messaging & Chat App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kik-messaging-and-chat-app/id357218860)

**Currently charting:** #101 Top Free · Social Networking, #162 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Connect with friends, Group chats, Share photos, videos, GIFs, Play games, Meet new friends, Username-based connection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Free | $2.99 | per month |
| Ad free (annual) | $32.99 | per year |
| 100 Live Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 Live Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Live Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3700 Live Credits | $24.99 | one-time |
| 16500 Live Credits | $99.99 | one-time |
| 70000 Live Credits | $399.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💬 Great chat features
- 🌐 Connects people globally
- 🤝 Helps make new friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Overrun by bots and spam
- 💤 Slow and laggy performance
- 📢 Intrusive and annoying ads
- 🔑 Account security issues
- 🔒 Lack of moderation and safety

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working properly
- Messages not sending or getting stuck
- Profile pictures not updating correctly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-private-messenger/id1470168868)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Anonymous account creation, Decentralized server network, No metadata logging, IP address protection, End-to-end encrypted group chats, Secure file sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable notifications and message delivery
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Slow media file transfers
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Limited features compared to competitors

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kik Messaging & Chat App free?

Kik Messaging & Chat App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Session free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?

Session is rated higher. Kik Messaging & Chat App averages 4.3 out of 5 from 486K ratings, while Session averages 4.4 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session have ads?

Kik Messaging & Chat App shows ads; Session does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?

Kik Messaging & Chat App ships an update fortnightly, and Session fortnightly. Most recently, Kik Messaging & Chat App was updated on November 6, 2026 and Session on November 6, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Kik Messaging & Chat App or Session?

Kik Messaging & Chat App currently peaks at #101 in the App Store charts, and Session at #98. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*