Comparison

Neo vs Kolo Messenger

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

Head to head
About

Neo

A modern and fast Matrix chat client designed for focused communication. It offers a clean UI for navigating rooms, spaces, and threads, with support for encrypted messages, rich media sharing, and voice/video calls.

Highlights
  • Modern and clean UI
  • Encrypted room support
  • Rich message sending
  • Threads and Spaces organization
  • Voice and video calls
  • RSS feed integration
  • Local message translation
Features
Read full description

Neo is a futuristic Matrix client built for speed, focus, and modern communication. Move quickly through Matrix rooms, spaces, threads with a modern and clean UI. Sign in with your Matrix account, join rooms, send rich messages, organize conversations with Threads and Matrix Spaces, and navigate everything from a fast sidebar. Neo supports encrypted rooms, image video sharing, reactions, threads, voice and video calls, rich notifications, RSS feeds, and local message translation with a single tap. Core Matrix Features • Sign in with username/password or SSO • Support for regular and encrypted Matrix rooms • Send text, images, videos, files, GIFs, stickers, and reactions • Use threads to keep long conversations on track • Organize rooms with native Matrix Spaces • Rich notifications with avatars and message previews • Voice and video calls Neo Extras • Fast sidebar navigation for rooms and spaces • Online GIF picker powered by Tenor • Message search • One-tap downloads for images, videos, and GIFs • RSS feed subscriptions and in-app reading • News view with RSS integration • Sticker picker, including Memoji stickers • Per-contact notification modes • Custom notification sounds • Custom default reaction emojis • Emoji folders • Local message translation • Foldable Markdown code blocks • Apple Intelligence message summaries on supported devices EULA / Terms of Service: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mszpro/Privacy-Policy/refs/heads/main/neo-matrix-tos.md Privacy Policy: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mszpro/Privacy-Policy/refs/heads/main/neo-privacy-policy.md

About

Kolo Messenger

Features
Read full description

Kolo brings your people together. Pick a username and start talking. Keep up with friends in direct chats, make plans in groups, and follow communities in channels. Switch from a message to an audio or video call whenever you want. MAKE IT YOUR CONVERSATION Reply to messages, add reactions, pin what matters, and settle plans with a poll. Share photos, files, voice messages and video messages, or your live location when you're meeting up. KEEP YOUR CIRCLE CLOSE Sort chats into folders and use several accounts on one device. Choose a light or dark appearance and use Kolo in English, Ukrainian, German, Polish or French on iPhone and iPad. PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS, PROTECTED FROM THE START Messages in direct chats, private groups and private channels are end-to-end encrypted by default. There's nothing to turn on. Public groups and channels are spaces for sharing with a wider audience. Set up a recovery key to help restore your encrypted chat history on another device. KOLO PREMIUM An optional monthly or yearly subscription adds a VIP emoji status, up to three reactions per message, longer video notes, larger uploads, voice-to-text, scheduled messages and short usernames. Premium applies to one Kolo account and works on its devices. Prices are shown in the app. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled in your Apple Account settings. Your people. Your circle. Kolo. Terms of Use: https://kolo.talk/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://kolo.talk/privacy/

Screenshots

Neo4 screens
Kolo Messenger4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Neo at 18.4 against Kolo Messenger's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Kolo Messenger sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Neo versus Kolo Messenger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeoKolo Messenger
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size263 MB92 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAsterKitArtem Sidorenko

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Neo

Subscriptions1
  • Nil Pro Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Nil Pro Lifetime$8.99
2 purchases

Kolo Messenger

Subscriptions2
  • Kolo Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Kolo Premium Yearly$23.991 Year

Questions

Is Neo free?
Neo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kolo Messenger free?
Kolo Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Neo or Kolo Messenger have ads?
Neither Neo nor Kolo Messenger shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Neo or Kolo Messenger?
Neo ships an update every 10 days, and Kolo Messenger every 10 days. Most recently, Neo was updated on November 5, 2026 and Kolo Messenger on November 6, 2026.

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