Comparison

Cipheus vs PHANTOM

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

Head to head
About

Cipheus

Features
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Is this two aliens talking? It might be. Or it might be your group chat in Cipheus. โ€” Cipheus turns every text you send into ancient runes, celestial symbols, or geometric glyphs. Your friends with the same Language Pack see the real message. Anyone glancing at your phone sees... something they can't read. It's not magic. It's not really alien. But it kind of looks like both. โ€” WHAT IT'S FOR - Group chats your parents/siblings/coworkers shouldn't read - Aesthetic texting (your messages look cool now) - A private second layer for conversations that matter - Just for the vibes, honestly โ€” HOW IT WORKS Pick a Language Pack โ€” Nordic Runes, Celestial, Geometric, and more. Share it with one friend or a whole group. Every message you send turns into symbols. Long-press to see what's underneath. It's encrypted end-to-end. Even I (the dev) can't read your messages. That's the point. โ€” FROM THE DEV Hi, I'm Flood. I built Cipheus solo because I wanted texting to feel like a secret again. The kind of secret you and your best friend share in a language no one else speaks. I'm still adding Language Packs, fixing rough edges, and listening to everyone using it. Send feedback. I read everything. โ€” CIPHEUS+ (Optional) Unlock unlimited Language Packs and unlimited friends. $3.99/month or $29.99/year. Cancel anytime. โ€” Privacy Policy: cipheus.com/privacy Terms: cipheus.com/terms Contact: cipheus.com (yes I read DMs) cipheus.com

About

PHANTOM

Features
Read full description

Every message on PHANTOM is end-to-end encrypted โ€” protected by post-quantum cryptography that even tomorrow's quantum computers can't break. Only you and the person you're writing to can ever read what's sent. Not us. Not our servers. Not advertisers. Nobody. Even if someone breached our servers, they would find nothing but unreadable noise. And nothing ties it to you: no phone number, no email. Your identity is just a random key on your device โ€” nothing else. FREE TO USE PHANTOM is free to chat. Messages, group chats and contacts are unlimited โ€” no trial, no account, no ads, and nothing about you is ever sold. Watching Stories is free too. Sending photos, videos and voice messages is unlocked by a single one-time purchase. WHAT YOU GET โ€” Private 1-on-1 chats, fully end-to-end encrypted โ€” Encrypted group chats โ€” Send photos, videos and voice messages โ€” all encrypted (PHANTOM Pro) โ€” Disappearing Stories that vanish after 24 hours (watch free, post with Pro) โ€” Self-destructing messages (1 hour to 1 week) โ€” Lock the app with Face ID or Touch ID โ€” Wipe all your data with one button โ€” Verify contacts via QR code WHAT MAKES PHANTOM DIFFERENT Instead of a phone number, you get a random, randomly generated ID. Nobody else has it. If you don't share it, nobody can find you. The encryption holds up even against future quantum computers. Anyone recording your messages today, hoping to crack them later, is wasting their time. And you don't have to trust us. The cryptographic core is open source. WHAT WE WILL NEVER DO โ€” No ads โ€” No trackers โ€” No selling your data โ€” No hidden backdoors โ€” Never read your messages PHANTOM is for people who take their privacy seriously and believe private communication is a basic right. PHANTOM PRO (OPTIONAL) Pro is a single one-time purchase โ€” EUR 9.99, charged once to your Apple ID. It never renews and never expires, and it is not required to chat. Pro unlocks: โ€” Sending photos and videos โ€” Voice messages โ€” Posting your own Stories Messages, groups and contacts never need Pro. Privacy policy: https://phantomchat.io/privacy.html Terms: https://phantomchat.io/terms-en.html

Screenshots

Cipheus4 screens
PHANTOM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PHANTOM at every 3 weeks against Cipheus's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Cipheus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PHANTOM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cipheus ships an update every 6 weeks, PHANTOM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Cipheus versus PHANTOM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCipheusPHANTOM
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size11 MB14 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developerๆดชๆถ› ๅ†ฏDaniel Eler

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Cipheus

Subscriptions2
  • Cipheus+ Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Cipheus+ Yearly$29.991 Year
2 purchases

PHANTOM

Subscriptions1
  • PHANTOM Pro$6.991 Month
One-time1
  • PHANTOM Pro$8.99

Questions

Is Cipheus free?
Cipheus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PHANTOM free?
PHANTOM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cipheus or PHANTOM have ads?
Neither Cipheus nor PHANTOM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cipheus or PHANTOM?
Cipheus ships an update every 6 weeks, and PHANTOM every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cipheus was updated on October 31, 2026 and PHANTOM on October 28, 2026.

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