ChatSecure Messenger vs Hi
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/
Hi
This free communication app enables WiFi calls and video calls with friends, along with text, voice, and media messaging. It offers unlimited international calling, HD video, and extensive cloud storage for photos and videos, all without ads or hidden costs.
- Free WiFi calls and video calls
- Text, voice, image, and video messaging
- Unlimited international calling
- 720p HD video calls
- 10,000 GB free video cloud storage
- Instant photo/video sharing
- Message storage for offline access
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Get the most out of your smartphone with Hi, a free communication app that makes free WiFi calls/video calls with your friends. Send text, voice, image and video messages as well. Save time, save money; switch from phone calls to Hi free WiFi calls now! WHY GET HI? * NO HIDDEN COSTS AND COMPLETELY FREE: There is nothing to purchase and Hi will always be free. * NO SUBSCRIPTION NEEDED: Just enjoy the free WiFi calls and video calls without any subscription fee. * NO TIME LIMITED: There is not a time limitation for calls and you can talk whatever long you want with your friends and family. * AVAILABLE INTERNATIONALLY: You can make unlimited international voice/video calls between your Hi contacts for free with crystal clear audio quality. * NO ADS, NO PRIVACY CONCERN: Hi is completely free and financed by its sister game company. There are NO ADS so you can talk to you friends and family in this highly privacy protected app. * CAN BE USED WITH DATA: All Hi services are available with 4G/3G/EDGE. We charge you nothing. Carrier data charges may apply. * 720P HD VIDEO CALLS: The HD quality video call brings you and your family together wherever you are. * SWITCH FROM VOICE CALL TO VIDEO CALL: You can switch from voice call to HD Video call on the fly. * WORLD'S FIRST 10,000 GB FREE VIDEO CLOUD STORAGE: You'll never run out of space on your phone and miss out on capturing a moment with "Hi". With Thunderclap Technology, you can sync all your photos and videos on Hi and delete local copies to save your phone space. * INSTANT PHOTO/VIDEO SHARING: All your private cloud photo/video shares are instant and costs you no data traffic! * SAME AS SMS: All messages will be stored while your phone is shut off or without network. You can get them immediately when Hi launches next time. * AND MUCH MUCH MORE: Sent/Delivered/Read Status for Messages,Advanced Privacy Settings, Group Chats, Voice Messages, Tens of Thousands of Free Animated Stickers, Multi-Login, Web Chat, Free Custom Chat Bubbles, Share Locations, Free Custom Wallpapers and easily exchange contacts. To help make Hi a better app, please send us your feedback to support@hiapponline.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ChatSecure Messenger at 4.2 against Hi's 3.1. ChatSecure Messenger also leads on ratings volume (282 vs 47) and device support (4 vs 2). Hi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Hi asks for nothing beyond the download.
ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChatSecure Messenger has 282 ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 57% of Hi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Hi every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChatSecure Messenger | Hi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (282 ratings) — better | 3.1 (47 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | 57.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 282 — better | 47 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days — 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, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chris Ballinger | Hi Technology, Inc. |
Customer experience
ChatSecure Messenger
Hi
User reviews
ChatSecure Messenger
From 282 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app
- 🔒 Secure chat
- 👍 Intuitive setup
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Excellent service
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes often
- 🐛 Buggy
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Messages not syncing
- 🐛 Stability issues
Hi
From 47 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Great app for calling and messaging
- 🚀 Crystal clear voice quality
- 👍 Easy to use and personalize
Room to improve
- 🐛 Verification code not received
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inability to send/receive messages and photos
- 🐛 Accounts getting logged out randomly
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
Hi
Reported bugs
4 issues- Verification code not being sent
- Calls getting disconnected or not connecting
- Cloud storage issues with photos and videos
- Compatibility problems with older devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add video calling functionality
- Implement read/delivery receipts for messages
- Allow deleting entire conversation history
- Improve notification system
In-app purchases
ChatSecure Messenger
- $2.99 Donation$2.991 Month
- $5.99 Donation$5.991 Month
- $9.99 Donation$9.991 Month
Hi
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ChatSecure Messenger free?
Is Hi free?
Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Hi?
Do ChatSecure Messenger or Hi have ads?
Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Hi?
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