# Ghost vs Wave

The clearest difference is rating: Wave at 5.0 against Ghost's 4.8. Ghost's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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.

Wave holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ghost has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ghost | Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-private-messenger/id6748726977/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-secure-messaging/id6755153686/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 68 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kacper Oselka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813430141) | [Simhadri Bogula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797254968) |

## What reviewers say

### Ghost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ghost-private-messenger/id6748726977)

This messaging app prioritizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption and anonymous profiles. It collects minimal metadata, ensuring conversations remain confidential and invisible to third parties.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Anonymous profiles, Minimal metadata collection, No phone number required, Secure file sharing

**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 Ghost free?

Ghost 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, Ghost or Wave?

Wave is rated higher. Ghost averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Wave averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ghost or Wave have ads?

Neither Ghost nor Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ghost or Wave?

Ghost ships an update every 4 weeks, and Wave every 4 weeks. Most recently, Ghost was updated on October 3, 2026 and Wave on October 7, 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.*