NETTRASH.Exchange vs DNSimple
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NETTRASH.Exchange
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Exchange is a cryptographic messenger that puts you in charge of your keys. Type your message in Exchange, encrypt it to a recipient whose public key you have saved, and you get a single line of encrypted text — an EXC2 envelope. Send it through any app you already use: iMessage, Mail, Telegram, WhatsApp, anything that can carry text. The recipient opens it back in Exchange and reads the original message. Nobody else can. Or use the built-in iMessage extension. Tap Exchange in the iMessage app drawer, pick a contact, type, encrypt, send. A locked-message bubble drops into the conversation. The recipient taps it and Exchange opens straight to the decrypted plaintext — no copy-paste, no app switching. NEW IN 1.1 Native Mac support. Exchange now runs as a Mac Catalyst app on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, sharing the same recipient list and decrypt flow as the iPhone version. Decrypt on tap from Messages. Tap a locked-message bubble in iMessage on iPhone or Mac and Exchange opens directly to the plaintext via Universal Links — no copy-paste. Rich link previews. Encrypted messages sent from the Compose flow now appear as preview bubbles in iMessage, Telegram, Slack, and other messengers, with the Exchange icon and an "Install Exchange" page for recipients without the app. Identity sync. By default, your private key is carried across the devices signed into your Apple ID via iCloud Keychain — which is itself end-to-end encrypted with a device-class secret. Toggle off in Settings if you prefer the original device-only behaviour. Recipients sync. Your saved recipient list is also kept in sync across your devices, encrypted on-device with a key derived from your identity. Apple sees only opaque ciphertext — display names, public keys, and notes stay end-to-end encrypted between your devices. Backup and transfer. In Settings, export your identity as a passphrase-encrypted blob you can save in a password manager, or transfer it in person to another of your devices via a single-use QR code. EVERYTHING ON YOUR DEVICE Exchange has no servers. No backend, no accounts, no telemetry, no analytics, no tracking. The cryptographic operations all run locally using Apple's CryptoKit framework. The only data that ever leaves your device is what you explicitly choose to send — and even then, only the encrypted envelope. PROVEN ALGORITHMS Exchange uses standard, publicly-vetted cryptography: - Curve25519 (X25519) key agreement - Ed25519 signatures for sender authentication - ChaCha20-Poly1305 authenticated encryption - HKDF-SHA256 for key derivation - PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 for passphrase backup Every message is signed by your identity and verified by the recipient before the plaintext is shown. Tampered envelopes are rejected, not silently corrupted. KEY EXCHANGE THAT MAKES SENSE Two people meet in person — at the office, at a cafe, at a conference. One taps "Show QR code" in Exchange, the other taps "Scan QR" from Add Recipient. A few seconds and they've exchanged the public-key bundle, including a fingerprint they can verify out loud. From then on, no matter what messenger they use to talk, only they can read what they send. WHAT EXCHANGE IS NOT Exchange isn't a chat app. It doesn't have group chats, voice calls, or read receipts. It's a tool you use with whatever transport you prefer. It isn't a key recovery service. If you lose all your devices and don't have iCloud Keychain sync turned on, your identity is gone. There is no developer-side recovery, no master key, no back door. It isn't a server-trust system. There's no central directory of users. You decide who your contacts are, in person or through whatever channel you trust. REQUIREMENTS iOS 26 or later on iPhone and iPad. macOS 26 or later on Mac (Apple silicon or Intel) via Mac Catalyst. Camera optional, used for QR-code scanning. FREE AND OPEN Exchange is independent software that respects your time and your data. No ads, no subscriptions, no upsells.
DNSimple
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DNSimple gives you control over DNS on iPhone and iPad through a local DNS tunnel. Use encrypted DNS-over-HTTPS by default, choose from Cloudflare, Google, Quad9 and AdGuard presets, or enter your own resolver. The dashboard shows the active configuration, resolver health and the last responding resolver. PRIVATE HISTORY, YOUR CHOICE Recording is optional and off by default. Keep records on your device with iOS file protection and backup exclusion, or choose memory-only history that disappears when recording stops or the tunnel ends. Choose a retention period of 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. Expired records are removed while running or when you next open the app. Switching storage clears existing history. UNDERSTAND YOUR DNS Search and filter requests by domain, resolver, query type, errors, local overrides or unencrypted transport. Inspect DNS response codes, response times and the actual responding resolver. Statistics show the retained history window, with up to 20,000 on-device records or 2,000 memory-only records. CONTROL YOUR RESOLVER - DNS-over-HTTPS with HTTPS certificate validation - Standard DNS with UDP and TCP support - Custom IPv4 and IPv6 DNS servers - Custom hosts overrides - Live recording controls and resolver health checks - Plaintext fallback disabled unless you explicitly enable it DNSimple does not require an account and has no advertising or analytics. DNS history stays on your device. Selected bootstrap servers resolve the DoH endpoint hostname; website DNS queries use HTTPS unless you enable plaintext fallback. Your selected resolver can see the queries it handles. DNSimple changes system DNS. It does not hide your IP address or encrypt other app traffic. Apps using their own DNS can bypass the tunnel and will not appear in history. When disconnected, iOS uses its normal DNS settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NETTRASH.Exchange at fortnightly against DNSimple's every 2 months. DNSimple's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NETTRASH.Exchange ships an update fortnightly, DNSimple every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NETTRASH.Exchange | DNSimple |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ivan Alekseev | Kitta Co. |
In-app purchases
NETTRASH.Exchange
No in-app purchases
DNSimple
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NETTRASH.Exchange free?
Is DNSimple free?
Do NETTRASH.Exchange or DNSimple have ads?
Which is updated more often, NETTRASH.Exchange or DNSimple?
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