Comparison

theSHFT vs Mesavo

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

Head to head
About

theSHFT

This app offers a secure and private messaging experience disguised as a functional calculator. Messages are end-to-end encrypted and self-destruct after reading, with no data stored on servers. It prioritizes user privacy with advanced encryption protocols.

Highlights
  • Calculator disguise
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Self-destructing messages
  • No server storage
  • Advanced encryption protocols
  • No phone number required
Features
Read full description

theSHFT is a private messaging app built for people who take privacy seriously. Direct messages, group chats, calls, photos, videos and voice memos are encrypted on your device before they are sent. We hold only ciphertext for them. Community posts and Stories are server readable so they can be shown to members and viewers. Private. Secure. Yours. The text of every direct message runs on the Double Ratchet, so each message gets its own key. Photos, videos and voice memos are sealed with a key for the chat they are sent in, not a new key for each file. In one to one chats the message text also gets post quantum protection, in hybrid with classical encryption, whenever the recipient's device has published a post quantum key. Every chat starts with a 10 second timer that both sides share, and a message counts down once it is read. Pick Off or anything from 5 seconds to 30 days, free on every account, and watch a live countdown to the second it is gone. Once a message disappears from a phone, it is deleted there for good. Voice calls are free and video calls come with Pro, for both people on the call. Calls are encrypted end to end with 256 bit AES. Create encrypted group chats with up to 50 members (100 with Pro). When someone leaves or is removed, the group moves to new keys, so they cannot read what is sent after they are gone. Send voice memos with a visual waveform and adjustable playback speed. In a chat they are encrypted like your photos and follow the chat's timer. Dress up your avatar with a SHFT look: free, Pro and seasonal outfits, paired with any pose and color you choose. Two looks unlock by playing, not paying. Collect stars for the things you do in theSHFT, from your first message to a year of use, and see them on your own Stars screen. theSHFT also lives on your Lock Screen and Home Screen as a small companion you can pet and feed. It is built from a few numbers already on your phone, like when you last opened the app, never from who you talk to or what you send. In communities, anyone signed in can vote on a post. How you voted is private; only the totals show to others. Posting, replying and polls are for members. No phone number. No email. No real name. Just a username and a PIN. Your 12 word recovery phrase is the only way to restore your account, and only you have it. Screenshots, screen recordings and AirPlay mirroring of your messages come out blank, on your iPhone and on the phones of the people you message: the app renders them through a protected layer, so the capture saves as a black image. Take a screenshot inside a chat on iPhone and the others in that chat are told at once. Screen recordings are blanked but not reported, and nothing can stop a photo taken with a second camera. We hold only ciphertext for direct messages, group chats and calls. The keys for them are made and kept on your device. We cannot read those messages, even if asked. A duress PIN (Pro) wipes theSHFT from your phone without warning and, when the phone is online, deletes your account too. There is no decoy and nothing left to unlock. theSHFT delivers real time messaging, encrypted voice calls, video calls with Pro, group chats, voice memos with waveform playback, and a live countdown on every timed message once it is read. The free plan includes unlimited messages, photos and contacts, voice calls up to five minutes, up to ten groups of fifty, communities, stories, and every disappearing timer, from 5 seconds to 30 days. Upgrade to Pro, a monthly or yearly subscription, to unlock encrypted video calls when both of you have Pro, unlimited call length when everyone on the call has Pro, voice room hosting, unlimited groups of up to 100 members, and the duress PIN. Terms of Use (EULA): https://theshft.app/eula Privacy Policy: https://theshft.app/privacy-policy

About

Mesavo

Read full description

Mesavo is a modern messenger for direct, focused communication on iPhone and iPad. Features: - Sign in with Apple, Google, an email code, or an SMS code - Text, photo, video, and voice messages - Replies, reactions, editing, deletion, pinning, and search - Synced drafts and archived conversations - Audio and video calls - Multiple Channels with descriptions, cover images, and selected Mesavo contacts - Photo and video posts from the library or camera - Reporting, blocking, and account deletion directly in the app Mesavo does not access your address book or sync your contacts. Content published directly in Mesavo is automatically checked to help protect the community. Optional smart dictation starts only after explicit consent.

Screenshots

theSHFT4 screens
Mesavo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mesavo at none against theSHFT's 3. Mesavo also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. theSHFT sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Mesavo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

theSHFT ships an update weekly, Mesavo every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
theSHFT versus Mesavo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertheSHFTMesavo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB32 MB
Age rating17+17+
DevelopertheSHFT LLCNET-LINE Online-Dienste GmbH

In-app purchases

3 purchases

theSHFT

Subscriptions2
  • theSHFT Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • theSHFT Pro Yearly3 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • theSHFT Pro Lifetime$49.99
None

Mesavo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is theSHFT free?
theSHFT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mesavo free?
Mesavo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do theSHFT or Mesavo have ads?
Neither theSHFT nor Mesavo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, theSHFT or Mesavo?
theSHFT ships an update weekly, and Mesavo every 2 days. Most recently, theSHFT was updated on October 24, 2026 and Mesavo on October 20, 2026.

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