HomeChat vs Cipher
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HomeChat
A secure messenger focused on private one-on-one communication with end-to-end encryption. It requires no personal data for registration and offers features like encrypted calls, media sharing, and customizable themes. Designed for users prioritizing privacy and security over group chats.
- End-to-end encryption
- One-on-one communication only
- No personal data required
- Encrypted calls and media
- Customizable themes and stickers
- App PIN and panic code
Read full descriptionHide full description
HomeChat is a secure messenger with full end-to-end encryption. Private one-on-one and group chats — no channels, no public spaces. Who HomeChat is for: - Family and loved ones - Lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs - Crypto traders - Anyone who doesn't trust big platforms PRIVACY HomeChat encrypts everything — text, media, reactions, and call signals — directly on your device. The server does not store messages and never has access to your conversations. Decrypting data without the keys on your device is impossible. HomeChat includes a built-in proxy tunnel — a fallback channel used when the direct connection to our server is unavailable. When needed, the app uses an internal secured route to reach HomeChat's own server. It does not affect other apps and is not a system VPN. It can be enabled manually with a single tap. - No phone number, email, or personal data required to register - No ads or third-party analytics - No personal data collection - Encrypted media files are automatically deleted from the server after 7 days - Delete your account at any time with one tap - App PIN — independent cryptographic protection, separate from the phone passcode. Without the correct PIN, app content is inaccessible even on an unlocked device - Panic code — instantly and irreversibly destroys all data within the app with no trace and no possibility of recovery FEATURES - Text messages, photos, videos, audio, documents (max file size — 100 MB) - Video messages (video circles) - Voice calls - Video calls - Group chats with manual invite approval - Message reactions - Statuses: sent → delivered → read - Presence indicators: online / offline / removed from contacts - Custom stickers, ringtones, and wallpapers - Light and dark theme support - Ability to chat during a call SECURITY Encryption protocols: - X3DH + Double Ratchet (Signal protocol) on Apple CryptoKit - AES-256-GCM for all data types - Ed25519 for signing, X25519 for key exchange - Forward Secrecy — compromising one key doesn't reveal past conversations Calls: - WebRTC over self-hosted STUN/TURN servers - Direct P2P connection via STUN (when possible), TURN as a fallback channel - Call signaling (IP addresses, SDP) is additionally encrypted - DTLS/SRTP protection for the voice stream Transport: - WSS (WebSocket Secure) + TLS + Certificate Pinning (SPKI) — protection against MITM attacks On-device data: - Messages stored in an encrypted SQLite database - Session keys in the iOS Keychain (ThisDeviceOnly) - Media files excluded from iCloud backups - Session rollback protection (used encryption keys are destroyed immediately and cannot be recovered) Push notifications: - Message content never enters the push payload - VoIP Push only carries the caller's identifier NOTES - Works in Russia - Push notifications and VoIP calls work in the background - Supports iPhone and iPad
Cipher
Read full descriptionHide full description
When the other person is on your Wi-Fi, nothing passes through a relay. No phone number. No email. No account. And the things this app cannot protect you from are written down inside it. NO SERVER, BY DEFAULT Cipher tries two transports in order. On the same network it connects over Bonjour, using no infrastructure at all. Only when that is unavailable does it fall back to a relay you chose yourself - and relays are off by default. The transport in use is shown at the top of the screen, and each message carries its own mark: this one arrived over the LAN, this one went through a relay. DRAKE/1 The cryptography is not homemade. X25519, Ed25519, ChaCha20-Poly1305, HKDF-SHA512 and ML-KEM-768 - widely reviewed standards, nothing else. What is ours is how they are assembled. - Keys ratchet forward on every message, so a leaked key cannot open the past - Headers are encrypted too: the message index and key rotations are invisible from outside - Every message is padded up to one of a fixed set of sizes, so the exact length never travels - The routing tag handed to a relay changes hourly, so you cannot be followed across time - Between devices on iOS 26 or later, ML-KEM-768 post-quantum key exchange runs alongside WHAT IT DOES - One-to-one text, with replies, quotes, edits, reactions and search - Disappearing messages, from send or from open, 10 seconds to 4 weeks - Safety-number verification: 60 digits, or scan the QR to compare automatically - Multiple accounts and disposable IDs - Biometric lock, decoy vault, wipe PIN - Encrypted backup and restore, CSV/JSON export - Settings you can actually change, down to the last detail WHAT WE ADMIT A product that sells safety and then overstates it is itself a danger. Settings > What this cannot protect lists the limits in plain language: if the device itself is compromised, if the first key exchange was tampered with, if the person you are talking to copies the contents out, or if you need your IP address hidden - none of those are within reach of this app. PRICING Everything cryptographic is in the free version. Padding, header encryption, key ratcheting, safety-number verification, disappearing messages, blocking - none of it is limited. We do not hold safety hostage. Cipher Pro adds convenience: 14-day relay retention, unlimited disposable IDs, cover traffic. The annual plan includes 7 days free. Terms: https://revot.jp/apps/cipher/terms.html Privacy: https://revot.jp/apps/cipher/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HomeChat at none against Cipher's 4. Cipher's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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. Cipher sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. HomeChat asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | HomeChat | Cipher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hash and Joy, LLC | REVOT, K.K. |
In-app purchases
HomeChat
No in-app purchases
Cipher
- Cipher Pro 週額$3.997 Days
- Cipher Pro 月額$6.991 Month
- Cipher Pro 年額7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Cipher Pro 買い切り$69.99









