# Hugin Messenger vs Wave

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hugin Messenger at weekly against Wave's monthly. Hugin Messenger also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hugin Messenger against 5.0 for Wave. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Hugin Messenger ships an update weekly, Wave monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hugin Messenger | Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hugin-messenger/id6741133299/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-secure-messaging/id6755153686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 92 MB | 157 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Harry Eriksson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1793219872) | [Simhadri Bogula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797254968) |

## What reviewers say

### Hugin Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hugin-messenger/id6741133299)

Experience secure, decentralized communication with this peer-to-peer chat service. Connect with friends and communities through encrypted direct and group messages, all without central servers or personal data collection. Enjoy crystal-clear voice and video calls and a decentralized social feed.

**Highlights:** Peer-to-peer communication, End-to-end encryption, Voice and video calls, Decentralized social feed, Zero sign-up required, No personal data collection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-secure-messaging/id6755153686)

A privacy-focused messaging app offering end-to-end encrypted chats without requiring sign-ups or personal information. It utilizes a decentralized network for enhanced user control and supports both one-to-one and group conversations.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, No sign-up required, Decentralized network, One-to-one and group chats, Optional Bluesky integration, Ad-free and tracker-free

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hugin Messenger free?

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

### Is Wave free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hugin Messenger or Wave?

Hugin Messenger and Wave are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Hugin Messenger or Wave have ads?

Neither Hugin Messenger nor Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hugin Messenger or Wave?

Hugin Messenger ships an update weekly, and Wave monthly. Most recently, Hugin Messenger was updated on October 21, 2026 and Wave on October 24, 2026.

---

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