# Atom Messenger vs ShadowTalk

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Atom Messenger at none against ShadowTalk's 1. Atom Messenger also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShadowTalk sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Atom Messenger asks for nothing beyond the download.

Atom Messenger ships an update every 3 weeks, ShadowTalk every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Atom Messenger | ShadowTalk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Size | 42 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [igloocy s.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691843040) | [Kirill Filippov](https://appshunter.io/developer/891209780) |

## What reviewers say

### Atom Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atom-messenger/id6450101210)

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShadowTalk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowtalk/id6473667328)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Atom Messenger free?

Atom Messenger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShadowTalk free?

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

### Do Atom Messenger or ShadowTalk have ads?

Neither Atom Messenger nor ShadowTalk shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Atom Messenger or ShadowTalk?

Atom Messenger ships an update every 3 weeks, and ShadowTalk every 8 months. Most recently, Atom Messenger was updated on September 21, 2026 and ShadowTalk on October 2, 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.*