# ChatSecure Messenger vs Signal

The clearest difference is rating: Signal at 4.7 against ChatSecure Messenger's 4.2. Signal also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 281). ChatSecure Messenger's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Signal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Signal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Signal has 1.1M ratings behind it against 281, 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 68% of Signal's.

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Signal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChatSecure Messenger | Signal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (281 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 281 | **1.1M** |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | **67.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#10** |
| Size | 34 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Chris Ballinger](https://appshunter.io/developer/433040866) | [Signal Messenger, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/874139672) |

## What reviewers say

### ChatSecure Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $2.99 Donation | $2.99 | per month |
| $5.99 Donation | $5.99 | per month |
| $9.99 Donation | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 🔒 Secure chat
- 👍 Intuitive setup
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Excellent service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes often
- 🐛 Buggy
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Messages not syncing
- 🐛 Stability issues

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Fails to send messages
- Notifications not working
- Syncing issues across devices
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add group chat support
- Improve background support
- Add search functionality
- Customization options
- Improve message delivery reliability


### Signal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Free · Social Networking, #120 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #150 Top Free (US App Store)

This messaging app prioritizes your privacy with strong end-to-end encryption for all communications. It offers free text, voice, and video messaging, including group chats and disappearing stories, all without collecting your data.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted messaging, Free voice and video calls, Group chats up to 1000 people, Disappearing Stories, File sharing, Admin controls for groups

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Signal Secure Backups | $1.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Security and privacy
- 👍 Ease of use
- 🚀 Great call quality
- 🚀 Smooth and pleasant user interface
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Delayed message delivery
- 🐛 Inconsistent image/video quality
- 🐛 Buggy call functionality
- 🐛 Inability to edit sent messages
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Problem retrieving data, resulting in lost message history
- Keyboard covering the current conversation
- Inconsistent behavior when attaching photos/videos
- Scrolling issues when reading through messages
- Inability to recover message history after device change

**Requested features**

- Add filters and customization options
- Allow adding music to stories
- Implement a sticker store
- Add ability to pin messages in group chats
- Allow new members to view previous group messages


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChatSecure Messenger free?

ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Signal free?

Signal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ChatSecure Messenger or Signal?

Signal is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 281 ratings, while Signal averages 4.7 from 1.1M ratings.

### Do ChatSecure Messenger or Signal have ads?

Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Signal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChatSecure Messenger or Signal?

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Signal weekly. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on October 23, 2026 and Signal on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*