Comparison

Tello Messenger vs Pigeon

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

Head to head
About

Tello Messenger

This platform offers secure and seamless communication with advanced messaging, HD voice/video calls, and group collaboration tools. It features end-to-end encryption, customizable interfaces, and an AI assistant for enhanced productivity and community building.

Highlights
  • Advanced messaging (text, images, voice notes)
  • HD voice and video calls
  • Group chats and team collaboration
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Customizable interface
  • AI assistant and smart bots
  • Public groups and community features
Features
Read full description

TELLO - Where Conversations Happen Welcome to TELLO, your all-in-one messaging platform for smart, seamless, and secure communication. Key Features: - Advanced Messaging: Send text messages, high-quality images, and voice notes quickly and reliably. - Voice and Video Calls: Enjoy HD call quality with stable and clear connections worldwide. - Group Chats and Team Collaboration: Create group chats for friends, family, or work. Share files and manage tasks easily. - End-to-End Encryption: All chats, calls, and files are protected with strong encryption. - Customizable Interface: Choose themes, backgrounds, and sounds to make TELLO your own. - AI Assistant and Smart Bots: Manage your schedule, get reminders, and more directly within your chats. - Public Groups and Community: Join groups by interest or industry. Share ideas and grow your network. Privacy and Safety: - Self-Destruct Messages: Send confidential information with messages that auto-delete. - Spam Protection and Verified Users: Stay safe with advanced spam filters and user verification. - Parental Controls: Set limits and filters to protect younger users. Download TELLO now and transform the way you connect and collaborate.

About

Pigeon

This app offers end-to-end encrypted messaging with a focus on extreme privacy and security. It utilizes local Bluetooth mesh and federated relays for message delivery, ensuring no intermediary can read your communications.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Bluetooth Low Energy mesh
  • Federated zero-knowledge relays
  • Local message exchange
  • Open-source codebase
  • Extreme privacy focus
Features
Read full description

Pigeon is an end-to-end encrypted mesh messaging app for iOS. Pigeon's goal is extreme privacy and security across multiple delivery methods. The entire codebase is available on GitHub. Please note that Pigeon has not undergone an independent audit, but is built on top of an audited encryption library, vodozemac. Peers can exchange messages locally over a Bluetooth Low Energy mesh, or use federated zero-knowledge relays when they are out of local range. Messages are end-to-end encrypted regardless of how they travel; no transport, relay, or mesh hop can read them.

Screenshots

Tello Messenger4 screens
Pigeon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Tello Messenger at 16 against Pigeon's 26.0. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tello Messenger against 5.0 for Pigeon. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tello Messenger ships an update fortnightly, Pigeon every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Tello Messenger versus Pigeon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTello MessengerPigeon
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB12 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperEVER SUCCEEDED GLOBAL TLD, INC.ISAIAH RUSSELL HARVILLE

Customer experience

Tello Messenger

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pigeon

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tello Messenger

No in-app purchases

None

Pigeon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tello Messenger free?
Tello Messenger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pigeon free?
Pigeon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tello Messenger or Pigeon?
Tello Messenger and Pigeon are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Tello Messenger or Pigeon have ads?
Neither Tello Messenger nor Pigeon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tello Messenger or Pigeon?
Tello Messenger ships an update fortnightly, and Pigeon every 9 days. Most recently, Tello Messenger was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pigeon on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons