# Wave vs Zyphr

The clearest difference is update cadence: Zyphr at daily against Wave's every 4 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 Wave against 5.0 for Zyphr. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Wave ships an update every 4 weeks, Zyphr daily. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wave | Zyphr |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-secure-messaging/id6755153686/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zyphr/id6767202249/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 149 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Simhadri Bogula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797254968) | [Zyphr LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6816938731) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Zyphr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zyphr/id6767202249)

A private messaging app offering end-to-end encrypted chats and calls for secure communication. It prioritizes user privacy with features like disappearing messages and on-device transcription, and requires no phone number for signup.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted chats, Secure voice and video calls, Disappearing messages, On-device voice message transcription, No phone number required for signup, Screenshot protection

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave free?

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

### Is Zyphr free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Wave or Zyphr?

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

### Do Wave or Zyphr have ads?

Neither Wave nor Zyphr shows ads.

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

Wave ships an update every 4 weeks, and Zyphr daily. Most recently, Wave was updated on October 7, 2026 and Zyphr on October 12, 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.*