Comparison

ChatSecure Messenger vs Snikket

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

Snikket

Connect with friends, family, and colleagues on a global network without compromising your personal data. This privacy-focused chat application requires an invite to a Snikket service to function, ensuring secure and trusted communication.

Highlights
  • Privacy-friendly communication
  • Worldwide communication network
  • Data protection
  • Trusted service providers
  • Open-source software
Features
Read full description

The Snikket app allows you to join a worldwide communication network. Use the app for communicating with friends, family and colleagues without surrendering your data to large corporations. Important Note: To get started with the app you need an invite to a Snikket service, or run your own. The app will not work unless you have an invite to join a Snikket service. Snikket allows you to use a service provided by someone you trust. This could be an organisation, simply a techie friend or family member. Snikket is 100% free and open-source software. Questions? Browse our FAQ: https://snikket.org/app/faq/

Screenshots

ChatSecure Messenger4 screens
Snikket3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ChatSecure Messenger at 4.2 against Snikket's 3.6. ChatSecure Messenger also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (282 vs 18). Snikket's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (64% vs 51%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Snikket asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChatSecure Messenger has 282 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 64% of Snikket's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Snikket every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ChatSecure Messenger versus Snikket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatSecure MessengerSnikket
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (282 ratings) — better3.6 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings282 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris BallingerSnikket Community Interest Company

Customer experience

ChatSecure Messenger

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

Snikket

All ratings18 ratings
Positive61.1%
Neutral5.6%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

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

Snikket

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

Snikket

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChatSecure Messenger free?
ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Snikket free?
Snikket is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Snikket?
ChatSecure Messenger is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Snikket averages 3.6 from 18 ratings.
Do ChatSecure Messenger or Snikket have ads?
Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Snikket shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Snikket?
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Snikket every 7 months. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on September 28, 2026 and Snikket on August 17, 2026.

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