# ChatSecure Messenger vs Siskin IM

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | ChatSecure Messenger | Siskin IM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063/reviews)** | [3.7 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siskin-im/id1153516838/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **282** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **51.0% of reviews** | 46.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 34 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chris Ballinger](https://appshunter.io/developer/433040866) | [Tigase, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1153516837) |

## What reviewers say

### ChatSecure Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $2.99 Donation | $2.99 | per month |
| $5.99 Donation | $5.99 | per month |
| $9.99 Donation | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 🔒 Secure chat
- 👍 Intuitive setup
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Excellent service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes often
- 🐛 Buggy
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Messages not syncing
- 🐛 Stability issues

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add group chat support
- Improve background support
- Add search functionality
- Customization options
- Improve message delivery reliability


### Siskin IM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siskin-im/id1153516838)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*