Comparison

ChatSecure Messenger vs Siskin IM

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ChatSecure Messenger

This free and open source messaging app provides secure, end-to-end encrypted conversations using OTR and OMEMO over the XMPP protocol. It offers interoperability with other XMPP clients and uses well-known cryptographic libraries for privacy.

Highlights
  • OTR encryption
  • OMEMO encryption
  • XMPP protocol
  • TLS certificate pinning
  • SQLCipher local encryption
  • Open source
Features
Read full description

ChatSecure is a free and open source messaging app that features OTR and OMEMO encryption over XMPP. You can create new accounts on public XMPP servers, or even connect to your own server for extra security. Unlike other apps that keep you stuck in their walled garden, ChatSecure is fully interoperable with other clients that support OTR, OMEMO and XMPP. ChatSecure only uses well-known open source cryptographic libraries to keep your conversations private. Other apps may make claims about 'military grade' security but, without publicly auditable source code and verifiable end-to-end encryption, you cannot be truly safe. * XMPP with TLS certificate pinning. * OTR for verifiable end-to-end encryption and forward secrecy. * OMEMO for a mobile-friendly alternative to OTR. * SQLCipher to locally encrypt conversation logs. * Free and Open Source: https://github.com/chatsecure/chatsecure-ios Follow @ChatSecure on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chatsecure ►► ChatSecure Donations Subscribe to ChatSecure to help make developing free and open source privacy tools sustainable. We welcome any contribution to support ongoing development. The donation levels are currently $2.99/month, $5.99/month or $19.99/month. Here's what you get: • Feel good supporting indie software • Continued development and updates • Help keep the app free for everyone To manage your subscription: • You can turn off auto-renewal via the main Settings app: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Visit the following URL to view our Privacy Policy: https://chatsecure.org/privacy/ • Visit the following URL for full terms of use: https://chatsecure.org/terms/

About

Siskin IM

A powerful and lightweight XMPP client for seamless communication. Manage multiple accounts, access chat history, and enjoy features like push notifications and file sharing. Ideal for both new and experienced XMPP users.

Highlights
  • Multi-account management
  • Message archive access
  • Chatroom support
  • Automated status management
  • In-band account registration
  • Push notifications
  • File sharing
  • VoIP calls
Features
Read full description

Siskin IM is a lightweight, powerful XMPP client developed by Tigase, Inc. It provides an easy way to start using the XMPP Protocol (formerly known as Jabber) if you've never used it before. Veterans of the protocol will find many features here they are familiar with along with enhancements to reduce data use and extend battery life. - Control multiple accounts from a single application and sign into all your XMPP accounts at once. - Message Archive supported: Access chat history from the server. - Support for joining and creating chatrooms for multi-party collaboration. - Automated status management; no need to change status every time you put your phone down. - In band registration; Sign into and create a new account on your favorite XMPP/jabber server! - Push Notifications: Never miss another message. - Photos and other files easy sharing in private chats and in group chats, even with people using different XMPP clients. - Vcard support: robust user profiles. - VoIP: You can call your friends. Welcome to XMPP: Welcome to Siskin IM!

Screenshots

ChatSecure Messenger4 screens
Siskin IM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Siskin IM at none against ChatSecure Messenger's 3. ChatSecure Messenger's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (282 vs 33). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Siskin IM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChatSecure Messenger has 282 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 46% of Siskin IM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ChatSecure Messenger versus Siskin IM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatSecure MessengerSiskin IM
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (282 ratings) — better3.7 (33 ratings)
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews — better46.4% of reviews
Number of ratings282 — better33
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris BallingerTigase, Inc.

Customer experience

ChatSecure Messenger

All ratings282 ratings
Positive76.6%
Neutral7.8%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral13.8%
Negative35.2%

Siskin IM

All ratings33 ratings
Positive60.6%
Neutral12.1%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive46.4%
Neutral17.9%
Negative35.7%

Bugs and requests

ChatSecure Messenger

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Fails to send messages
  • Notifications not working
  • Syncing issues across devices
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add group chat support
  • Improve background support
  • Add search functionality
  • Customization options
  • Improve message delivery reliability
Show 1 more
  • Restore Tor support

Siskin IM

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ChatSecure Messenger

Subscriptions3
  • $2.99 Donation$2.991 Month
  • $5.99 Donation$5.991 Month
  • $9.99 Donation$9.991 Month
None

Siskin IM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChatSecure Messenger free?
ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Siskin IM free?
Siskin IM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Siskin IM?
ChatSecure Messenger is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Siskin IM averages 3.7 from 33 ratings.
Do ChatSecure Messenger or Siskin IM have ads?
Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Siskin IM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Siskin IM?
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Siskin IM every 2 months. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on September 15, 2026 and Siskin IM on September 21, 2026.

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