Comparison

Dead Drop vs Stellar Chat

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dead Drop

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Dead Drop is a secure, private and metadata-free communication platform, designed to work anywhere in the world. --- How it works: Your device will generate new unique cryptographic keys used to securely communicate with every different person you meet. To communicate, you will need to come face to face with another user in person and verify each other's identity, and then scan each other's aztec code to exchange public keys and add one another to your respective contact lists. This face-to-face verification prevents impersonation attacks and ensures you're communicating with who you intend to. Once added to each other's contact lists, you can securely message and call anywhere. For your privacy and security, you can only receive messages or calls from users that are in your contacts list, or from users in groups you have been added to. If you are not in possession of a public key for a particular user, you cannot receive their messages or call requests, eliminating unknown spam and/or malicious messages. Dead Drop allows you to make group chats, with the option to message anonymously with others, utilising rapidly rotating identity keys and no metadata retention. Worried if you are speaking on a private line? Dead Drop's encrypted calls will share if the other users on a call are using their speakerphone or any Bluetooth devices so you can talk in confidence! Enjoy communicating securely within your own private group of trusted contacts by exchanging keys in person! --- Cryptography and Privacy details: - The app uses X25519 keys for your own identity. - An authenticated HPKE ratchet is used to generate a unique symmetric base key after every back and forth message exchange via X25519, with SHA256 as an encapsulation mechanism and SHA512 HKDF for key derivation. - Symmetric keys are ratcheted using a SHA512 HKDF, ensuring that each message is sent with unique keys. - Every message exchange, your base public key forming your identity will update, providing ultimate anonymity between devices. - The double ratchet mechanism provides perfect forward secrecy and post compromise security to all conversations on Dead Drop. - Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted using the ChaCha20-Poly1305 AEAD cipher. - Dead Drop has no knowledge of who you are communicating with, or what is being sent between devices. - Dead Drop's servers act as a Dead Drop location, where your encrypted messages can be left for the other device to pick up within 30 days. Once retrieved, the message or attachment is deleted from our servers, with no logs retained. If a message or attachment isn't retrieved within 30 days, it's permanently deleted with no trace. - You can be added into groups with people that are not on your contact list, but only by trusted people in your contact list. - Notifications delivered to Apple's Push Notification Servers contain no private or identifiable information regarding who your notification is from, or what it is about. - All information is stored on your device with a unique cryptographic key that is protected by your Apple Key Chain.

About

Stellar Chat

Features
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StellarChat โ€“ Everything Social, All in One App StellarChat is the ultimate super app for your digital life โ€” bringing together real-time messaging, voice and video calling, short videos, live streaming, and peer-to-peer payments in one seamless platform. Why StellarChat? Stay connected, creative, and in control with: 1-on-1 & Group Chats โ€“ Chat instantly, share media, and react in real time. Crystal-Clear Calls โ€“ Enjoy high-quality voice and video calls powered by state-of-the-art technology. Flicks โ€“ Create and explore short-form videos in a TikTok-style scroll. Channel Videos โ€“ Upload longer content, grow your community, and engage with fans. Live Streaming โ€“ Go live anytime, anywhere, and interact with your viewers in real time. StellarPay โ€“ Send, receive, and request money directly within the app. Smart Notifications โ€“ Get alerts when it matters most, even when the app is closed. Custom Profiles โ€“ Showcase your personality with bio, media, and custom themes. Whether you're chatting with friends, watching content, streaming live, or sending money โ€” StellarChat is the only app you need. Download StellarChat today and unlock a new era of social connection, creation, and convenience.

Screenshots

Dead Drop4 screens
Stellar Chat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dead Drop at every 2 weeks against Stellar Chat's monthly. Stellar Chat's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dead Drop ships an update every 2 weeks, Stellar Chat monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Dead Drop versus Stellar Chat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDead DropStellar Chat
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks โ€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.614.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size37 MB207 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUltra Horizon LtdStellar Chat

In-app purchases

None

Dead Drop

No in-app purchases

None

Stellar Chat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dead Drop free?
Dead Drop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stellar Chat free?
Stellar Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dead Drop or Stellar Chat have ads?
Neither Dead Drop nor Stellar Chat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dead Drop or Stellar Chat?
Dead Drop ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stellar Chat monthly. Most recently, Dead Drop was updated on October 2, 2026 and Stellar Chat on October 7, 2026.

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