No Trace vs Sparrow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
No Trace
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Encrypted code-based chat. No phone. No email. No account. Share an 8-character code with someone. They type it in. You are talking. End-to-end encrypted from your device. Nothing to log in to. Nothing to back up. WHY NO TRACE WORKS • No phone number — no SMS confirmation that fails in your country. You install, you chat. • No email — no recovery flow you have to remember. • No account — no profile, no friend list, no directory. • 8-character code — share on paper, by voice, by QR. Whoever has the code joins. Whoever does not, never sees the room. • Optional 2-layer code — share a room without leaking access. The join-code is the second gate. • Three privacy presets — Ghost saves nothing on your phone, Balanced keeps codes for one-tap re-open, Comfort keeps history too. Change anytime. • Screen-recording lock — your chats render as black in screen recorders. • App lock — optional tap-code on every launch. • 1-tap delete all data — Settings > Account > Delete. Nothing kept on our side. HOW IT IS DIFFERENT Signal needs a phone number. Telegram needs a phone number. WhatsApp needs a phone number. Threema gives you a permanent ID that lives forever. No Trace gives you a throwaway 8-character code per room — no identity follows you. WHO PICKS IT • Journalists collecting tips • Lawyers and doctors with confidentiality duties • Activists and advocates • Two people who want a chat that does not sit in either phone's backup • Teams who want a side channel separate from work tools CROSS-DEVICE iPhone, iPad, Web, macOS, Linux. Open the room on whatever you have nearest. PRIVACY YOU CAN VERIFY • No ads • Tracking limited to crash + basic analytics, disclosed in our privacy policy • Premium uses Apple Pay only — no external payment links • Delete all your data anytime: Settings > Account > Delete CONTENT SAFETY We have zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive users. Every message can be reported with one tap (long-press > Report) and is reviewed within 24 hours. You can block any sender locally on long-press. Senders flagged for objectionable content are removed and ejected. Contact: hello@teamzlab.com. FEATURES • 1:1 and small-group code-gated rooms • Featured Topics — public rooms with daily prompts • Reply-to threading + emoji reactions • Edit and delete your own messages • Report and block any sender • Long-press copy • QR share for in-person joins • Three privacy levels you control PRICING 50 free messages on install. Premium is a one-time purchase — lifetime unlimited messages. No subscriptions. No recurring charges. No renewal. Install No Trace. Create a room. Share the code. That is the whole onboarding.
Sparrow
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Sparrow 是一款端到端加密的即时通信 App。 • 一对一与群组消息、图片、视频,全程端到端加密 • 语音与视频通话 • 多设备同步 • 可封锁用户、检举内容、于 App 内删除帐号
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sparrow at none against No Trace's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. No Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sparrow asks for nothing beyond the download.
No Trace ships an update every 11 days, Sparrow fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | No Trace | Sparrow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 101 MB | 110 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Teamz Lab Ltd | XIAOFEI GLOBAL BRANDING PTE. LTD. |
In-app purchases
No Trace
- Lifetime Access$4.99
Sparrow
No in-app purchases









