Comparison

theSHFT vs PopEllo

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

PopEllo

This app offers private, end-to-end encrypted messaging with features like sealed messages, disappearing messages, and voice/video calls. Connect with friends using handles instead of phone numbers for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
  • Sealed messages with hold-to-reveal
  • Disappearing messages
  • Voice and video calls
  • Photo and video sharing
  • Connect via @handle (no phone number needed)
  • Voice effects for voice notes
Features
Read full description

Popello brings private conversations and playful expression together. Send end-to-end encrypted messages, share photos and videos, and stay connected through voice notes and calls. Find friends by @handle without sharing your phone number. REVEAL ON YOUR TERMS Sealed messages keep their contents hidden on screen until you choose to reveal them. Hold to reveal and release to reseal when using hold-to-reveal mode. END-TO-END ENCRYPTED MESSAGING Messages are encrypted on your device before being sent. The visual seal adds on-screen privacy; end-to-end encryption protects the message content. VOICE AND VIDEO CALLS Move beyond text with voice and video conversations. PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND VOICE NOTES Share moments with friends and add personality to voice notes with voice effects. MORE CONTROL OVER YOUR CHATS Use disappearing messages, an app PIN and an optional duress PIN that opens an empty inbox. CONNECT BY HANDLE Sign in with Apple or Google, choose your @handle and connect with friends. No phone number required. Popello is free to use. Manage your account and access account deletion from Settings. Privacy Policy: https://popello.chat/privacy.html Terms: https://popello.chat/terms.html Support: support@popello.chat

Screenshots

theSHFT4 screens
PopEllo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PopEllo at none against theSHFT's 2. theSHFT's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. theSHFT sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. PopEllo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for theSHFT against 5.0 for PopEllo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: theSHFT has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

theSHFT ships an update weekly, PopEllo every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
theSHFT versus PopEllo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertheSHFTPopEllo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size176 MB52 MB
Age rating17+9+
DevelopertheSHFT LLCVictoriam

Customer experience

theSHFT

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PopEllo

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

theSHFT

Subscriptions2
  • theSHFT Pro Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • theSHFT Pro Yearly3 Days trial$99.991 Year
None

PopEllo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is theSHFT free?
theSHFT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PopEllo free?
PopEllo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, theSHFT or PopEllo?
theSHFT and PopEllo are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do theSHFT or PopEllo have ads?
Neither theSHFT nor PopEllo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, theSHFT or PopEllo?
theSHFT ships an update weekly, and PopEllo every 4 days. Most recently, theSHFT was updated on October 31, 2026 and PopEllo on October 31, 2026.

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