# ChatSecure Messenger vs Pryvate

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pryvate at fortnightly against ChatSecure Messenger's every 2 months. Pryvate also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 51%). ChatSecure Messenger's advantage is ratings volume (282 vs 72) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Pryvate sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for ChatSecure Messenger against 4.3 for Pryvate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 282 and 72 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pryvate's.

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, Pryvate fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChatSecure Messenger | Pryvate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063/reviews) | **[4.3 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pryvate-encrypted-messenger/id914948581/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **282** | 72 |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | **70.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 34 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Chris Ballinger](https://appshunter.io/developer/433040866) | [Criptyque](https://appshunter.io/developer/914948585) |

## 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


### Pryvate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pryvate-encrypted-messenger/id914948581)

This secure communication app offers encrypted messaging, voice, and video calls for individuals and businesses. It provides reliable global connectivity, file sharing, and advanced features like scheduled meetings and remote data control. Designed with privacy at its core, it ensures your conversations remain protected.

**Highlights:** Encrypted messaging, High-quality voice and video calls, Group conferencing, File and document sharing, Scheduled meetings, Secure email, Multi-device access

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anonymous Pryvate Number | $0.99 | per year |
| Remote Wipe | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited meeting time | $4.99 | per month |
| Pryvate Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Remote Wipe | $14.99 | per year |
| Get Pryvate Number | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Meetings | $49.99 | per year |
| Pryvate Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| 4.99 Off Net Credit | $5.99 | one-time |
| 9.99 Off Net Credit | $11.90 | one-time |
| 24.99 Off Net Credit | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChatSecure Messenger free?

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

### Is Pryvate free?

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

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

Pryvate is rated higher. ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Pryvate averages 4.3 from 72 ratings.

### Do ChatSecure Messenger or Pryvate have ads?

Neither ChatSecure Messenger nor Pryvate shows ads.

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

ChatSecure Messenger ships an update every 2 months, and Pryvate fortnightly. Most recently, ChatSecure Messenger was updated on October 11, 2026 and Pryvate on October 8, 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.*