ChatSecure Messenger vs Jami
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- OTR encryption
- OMEMO encryption
- XMPP protocol
- TLS certificate pinning
- SQLCipher local encryption
- Open source
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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/
Jami
This is a free communication platform prioritizing privacy through end-to-end encryption. It offers secure instant messaging, audio/video calls, and file sharing. The app supports multi-device usage and can function as a SIP client.
- Instant messaging
- Audio and video calls
- Photo and file sharing
- Group conversations
- End-to-end encryption
- Multi-device support
- SIP client functionality
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Jami is a free, unified communication platform that puts privacy first. Built on end-to-end encryption, Jami keeps your conversations secure and your personal data private. Features: - Instant messaging - Audio and video calls - Photo and file sharing - Group conversations and video conferences - End-to-end encrypted communications Multi-device support: - Use Jami on multiple devices - Sync your conversations seamlessly - Link devices to your account Additional capabilities: - Works as a SIP client For more information, visit https://jami.net Jami is published under the GPL license, version 3 or higher. Copyright © Savoir-faire Linux Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ChatSecure Messenger at 4.2 against Jami's 3.7. ChatSecure Messenger also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 41%) and ratings volume (282 vs 91). Jami's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Jami asks for nothing beyond the download.
ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 282 and 91 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 41% of Jami's.
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Jami every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChatSecure Messenger | Jami |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (282 ratings) — better | 3.7 (91 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews — better | 41.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 282 — better | 91 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 113 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chris Ballinger | Savoir-faire Linux |
Customer experience
ChatSecure Messenger
Jami
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
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- Restore Tor support
Jami
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ChatSecure Messenger
- $2.99 Donation$2.991 Month
- $5.99 Donation$5.991 Month
- $9.99 Donation$9.991 Month
Jami
No in-app purchases








