Ekko Chat vs ZZZ GhostChat

Ekko is a chat messenger that delivers your messages through six independent transport paths. If one is blocked, your message finds another way. No phone number. No email. No account. Your identity is a cryptographic key pair generated on your device and never shared with anyone — not even us. Add contacts by scanning QR codes when you meet in person. This is how trust should work. ENCRYPTED BY DEFAULT Every message is end-to-end encrypted before it leaves your device. Text, photos, documents, GIFs, and files are all protected. Not even Ekko can read your conversations. WORKS WITHOUT INTERNET Ekko uses Bluetooth Low Energy to exchange messages with nearby contacts automatically. Walk past someone at a coffee shop and pending messages deliver silently — no cell tower, no Wi-Fi required. When contacts aren't nearby, messages route through the internet via five other transport methods. SIX TRANSPORT PATHS - Bluetooth: Nearby offline delivery within 100 meters - Mesh Gossip: Messages forwarded by nearby peers - Distributed Hash Table: Decentralized serverless routing - Tor Onion: High-privacy delivery - Peer Link: Fast QUIC-based direct connections - Private Relay: Always-on encrypted push delivery Each message automatically finds the best available path. The transport dashboard shows you exactly how every message traveled. GROUP CONVERSATIONS Create encrypted group chats, invite contacts, share files, and set disappearing message timers for the entire group. Member management lets you add or remove participants at any time. DISAPPEARING MESSAGES Set messages to self-destruct after 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week. Once gone, they cannot be recovered. SHARE MEDIA SECURELY Send photos from your camera or gallery, browse and send animated GIFs, attach documents and files of any type — all encrypted end-to-end. An inline attachment menu gives you quick access to Files, Photos, Camera, and GIF search without leaving the conversation. PRIVATE RELAY SERVER Subscribe to a dedicated relay server for instant push delivery when you and your contacts aren't nearby. Messages are stored encrypted on the relay — it cannot read them. Invite contacts to share your relay for mutual always-on delivery. VERIFY CONTACTS Compare cryptographic fingerprints in person or through a trusted channel to verify that your contact is who they claim to be. No certificate authorities, no central trust — just mathematics. TRANSPARENT NETWORKING The transport dashboard gives you full visibility into how your messages travel. See which transports are active, how many network peers you're connected to, and which path delivered each individual message. An in-chat legend explains every transport and status icon. YOUR DATA, YOUR DEVICE All data stays on your device. There is no cloud sync, no analytics, no tracking, and no telemetry. Export an encrypted backup anytime for device transfers. Delete everything with a single tap. BIOMETRIC UNLOCK Secure the app with Face ID or fingerprint authentication on supported devices for fast, convenient access. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED PRIVACY Ekko is designed for journalists, activists, travelers, and anyone who believes private communication is a fundamental right. Whether you're in a restrictive environment where traditional messengers are monitored, or you simply want conversations that stay between you and your contacts, Ekko ensures your messages always find a way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

ZZZ GhostChat is a peer-to-peer mesh chat app that uses no server at all. Nearby devices connect directly over Bluetooth to exchange messages. No account, no phone number, no email — and everything you create stays only on your own device. ■ Great for ・Staying in touch with the people around you — a classroom, club, or event ・Quick messages at festivals, campsites, or while traveling where signal is weak ・When you just want to chat casually with whoever is right here, right now ■ Highlights ・Serverless: there is no operator server. Your messages are never gathered anywhere ・No sign-up: just pick a nickname and an emoji avatar and start ・End-to-end encryption with forward secrecy ・Mesh relay: messages can hop through in-between devices to reach friends just out of range ・One-to-one and group chat ・Pairing approval: connecting with someone new requires their consent (auto-pairing is OFF by default) ・Read/delivery receipts, message deletion, unread badges ・Block / mute / report anyone you’d rather not see ・Light / Dark mode, English and Japanese ■ How it works / please note ・Communication travels over Bluetooth radio, so you need to be physically near the other person ・This is a lightweight tool for casual nearby messaging. Some metadata (who is communicating, and when) may be observable nearby. Please don’t send sensitive personal information ・Uninstalling permanently deletes all stored data (messages, contacts, groups, keys)