Comparison

ChatSecure Messenger vs Hi

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

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

ChatSecure Messenger4 screens
Hi4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ChatSecure Messenger versus Hi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatSecure MessengerHi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (282 ratings) — better3.1 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews57.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings282 — better47
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris BallingerHi Technology, Inc.

Customer experience

ChatSecure Messenger

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

Hi

All ratings47 ratings
Positive51.1%
Neutral6.4%
Negative42.6%
Written reviews215 reviews
Positive57.2%
Neutral12.1%
Negative30.7%

User reviews

ChatSecure Messenger

From 282 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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
Show 1 more
  • 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

3 purchases

ChatSecure Messenger

Subscriptions3
  • $2.99 Donation$2.991 Month
  • $5.99 Donation$5.991 Month
  • $9.99 Donation$9.991 Month
None

Hi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChatSecure Messenger free?
ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hi free?
Hi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Hi?
ChatSecure Messenger is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Hi averages 3.1 from 47 ratings.
Do ChatSecure Messenger or Hi have ads?
Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Hi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Hi?
ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Hi every 4 days. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on October 15, 2026 and Hi on October 19, 2026.

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