Comparison

ChatMinder vs Secretly

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

Head to head
About

ChatMinder

Features
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Helping parents proactively nurture safe communication as children learn to chat online. Includes all the familiar features of any chat app (such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger). Safety protection features baked in from the start: - Contact Protection: Approve both incoming and outgoing contact requests. - Message Protection: Choose if incoming or outgoing messages require approval or not. - Call Protection: Choose if they can make calls or video calls and to whom - Chat Protection: Custom protection settings for individual contacts or group chats - Feature Protection: Choose if they can send gifs or use the message improvement feature - Chat Visibility: View protected users chats on your own device - Real-time Supervision: Real-time notifications and moderation (approve or reject). - Cross-Platform: Works on mobile devices and in any browser. - Smart approval rules: Use AI to help moderate messages, ensuring that only messages requiring a human touch are flagged. - Appropriate for all ages: Increase levels of autonomy and trust as children mature. Guardians can create protected user profiles without needing protected users to register. Terms of Use: https://chatminder.app/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://chatminder.app/privacy-policy/

About

Secretly

Features
Read full description

Secretly is a private messenger that needs no phone number and no email. Your account is a cryptographic key created on your device, and you get a random Secretly ID — nothing that ties your account to your name or your SIM card. NO PHONE NUMBER. NO EMAIL. • Create an account in seconds — no SIM card, no email, no personal details • Add contacts by Secretly ID, QR code or profile link • Your address book is never uploaded • Messages from people you don't know arrive as requests — you decide who can reach you END-TO-END ENCRYPTION • Messages, voice messages and files in private and group chats are end-to-end encrypted with the Double Ratchet algorithm, which provides forward secrecy • One-to-one voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted • Verify a contact in person by scanning their QR code or comparing security codes; Secretly warns you when a contact's keys change • Your chat database is encrypted on your device YOU DECIDE WHO SEES WHAT • Choose who can see your last-seen time, profile photo and forwarded messages, and who can call you: everyone, your contacts or nobody • Auto-delete messages in any chat after 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days • Lock Secretly with a password, a pattern or Face ID / Touch ID • Keep private conversations in a separately locked "Personal" section • Hide chat content in the app switcher • Delete your account at any time, or let it delete itself after a period of inactivity you choose EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT FROM A MESSENGER • Groups with admins and moderators, invite links, @mentions and pinned messages • Group voice and video calls • Replies, reactions, editing, delete for everyone, forwarding and search • Scheduled and silent messages, chat folders • Voice messages, photos, videos and files • Stickers, including a sticker maker that cuts the subject out of your photo on the device (iOS 17 or later) • Link previews are created by the sender, so your device doesn't fetch links you receive • On-device message translation • Encrypted backups protected by your password, plus a recovery kit to restore your account • A Mac app, linked to your iPhone with a QR code OPEN AND HONEST • No ads, no analytics or advertising SDKs • Open source under AGPL-3.0 — anyone can review the code on GitHub • We publish a threat model listing what Secretly protects against and its known limitations • An independent security audit has not been completed yet — we'd rather tell you than let you assume SECRETLY PREMIUM Secretly is free. Premium is optional and adds voice-message transcription on your device, larger files, bigger groups and group calls, premium sticker packs, and personalisation: themes, accent colours, animated wallpapers, avatar frames, profile covers, app icons and ringtones. Security features are never part of Premium. Premium is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Secretly works only between Secretly users. It does not send SMS or MMS and does not call phone numbers. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.secretlyapp.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

ChatMinder4 screens
Secretly4 screens

Verdict

The call

ChatMinder and Secretly are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ChatMinder sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Secretly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChatMinder ships an update every 10 days, Secretly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
ChatMinder versus Secretly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatMinderSecretly
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size121 MB176 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSudnik Software LtdSecretly SIA

In-app purchases

10 purchases

ChatMinder

Subscriptions10
  • Premium, Monthly, 5x Premium Seats1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium, Monthly, 8x Premium Seats1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • Premium, Yearly, 1x Premium Seat1 Month trial$11.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Premium, Yearly, 2x Premium Seats1 Month trial$14.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 3x Premium Seats1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 4x Premium Seats1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 5x Premium Seats1 Month trial$24.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 7x Premium Seats1 Month trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 6x Premium Seats1 Month trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium, Yearly, 8x Premium Seats1 Month trial$34.991 Year
3 purchases

Secretly

Subscriptions2
  • Secretly: Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Secretly Lifetime Premium$24.99

Questions

Is ChatMinder free?
ChatMinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Secretly free?
Secretly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChatMinder or Secretly have ads?
Neither ChatMinder nor Secretly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChatMinder or Secretly?
ChatMinder ships an update every 10 days, and Secretly weekly. Most recently, ChatMinder was updated on October 28, 2026 and Secretly on October 25, 2026.

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