Comparison

ChatSecure Messenger vs Kedr

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

Kedr

An encrypted messenger prioritizing anonymity and security for texting, video calls, and file sharing. It doesn't link to your phone number or access personal data. Create a nickname to connect with others.

Highlights
  • Anonymous texting
  • Encrypted video calls
  • Secure file sharing
  • No phone number required
  • Nickname-based chat
Features
Read full description

KEDR is an absolute safe, anonymous and encrypted messenger for texting, (video) calling and sending files. This messenger is not connected to your phone number and does not require any permissions to your personal data like your contacts. Simply create a nickname and ask your chat partner for his' in order to start chatting or calling him.

Screenshots

ChatSecure Messenger4 screens
Kedr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ChatSecure Messenger at 4.2 against Kedr's 1.4. ChatSecure Messenger also leads on ratings volume (282 vs 5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16). Kedr's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChatSecure Messenger has 282 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 50% of Kedr's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Kedr weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ChatSecure Messenger versus Kedr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatSecure MessengerKedr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (282 ratings) — better1.4 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews51.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings282 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better16
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris BallingerKedr GmbH

Customer experience

ChatSecure Messenger

All ratings281 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral7.8%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral13.6%
Negative34.7%

Kedr

All ratings5 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral18.2%
Negative31.8%

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

Kedr

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

Kedr

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChatSecure Messenger free?
ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kedr free?
Kedr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Kedr?
ChatSecure Messenger is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Kedr averages 1.4 from 5 ratings.
Do ChatSecure Messenger or Kedr have ads?
Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Kedr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Kedr?
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Kedr weekly. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on November 1, 2026 and Kedr on November 2, 2026.

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