Comparison

Relay Message vs PrivaMesh

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

Head to head
About

Relay Message

This app offers a secure and private communication platform with end-to-end encryption for messages, calls, and file sharing. It prioritizes user privacy with features like private profiles and approval-based group joins, ensuring conversations remain confidential.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted messages and group chats
  • Voice and video calls
  • File sharing
  • Groups up to 256 members
  • Private profile option
  • Approval-based group join requests
Features
Read full description

Relay Message is the most secure and private way to stay in touch. Every message, call, voice note and file is encrypted on your device before it is sent. Nobody can read your conversations, not even us. FEATURES - End-to-end encrypted messages and group chats - Voice and video calls, one-on-one and in groups - Voice memos, photos, videos and file sharing - Groups up to 256 members with admin controls - Private profile option, visible only to your friends - Add friends by username - Read receipts and unread indicators - Approval-based join requests for private groups SAFETY - Report objectionable content from any message or profile - Block abusive users with one tap - Delete your own messages anytime - All reports reviewed by our team within 24 hours - Zero tolerance for harassment, hate speech, or illegal content PRIVACY BY DESIGN - Your encryption keys never leave your device - We store only what is strictly necessary to deliver your messages, nothing more - No ads, no tracking, no selling your data Works on iPhone and iPad. An account is required. Your email is stored encrypted.

About

PrivaMesh

Read full description

Private messaging without a phone number, email, or company-run account server. PrivaMesh is an end-to-end encrypted messenger for iPhone, built for conversations that should never become someone else’s data. Your identity, contacts, encryption keys, and chat history stay on your device. NO PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL Create a private identity without linking a SIM, email address, or contact list. Friends find you by nickname, and your address book is never uploaded. NO COMPANY-RUN MESSAGE SERVER PrivaMesh does not operate an account server or message database. Encrypted messages travel through a public, decentralized transport and can be read only on the intended recipient’s device. END-TO-END ENCRYPTION Every message is encrypted before it leaves your iPhone. X3DH establishes secure sessions, the Double Ratchet generates a fresh key for every message, and AES-256-GCM protects content against reading or tampering. Forward secrecy helps protect earlier messages even if a key is compromised later. METADATA PROTECTION One-time delivery addresses, cover traffic, and fixed-size padding are designed to reduce exposure of who you contact, when you message, and how much you send. There are no ads, trackers, or in-app analytics. YOUR DEVICE, YOUR KEYS Encryption keys are stored in the iOS Keychain and protected with Face ID or Touch ID. Your recovery phrase can restore your identity on another device. Chat history intentionally stays local and is not restored. PRIVATE MESSAGING THAT FEELS FAMILIAR β€’ Private one-to-one conversations β€’ Nickname discovery without phone numbers β€’ Disappearing messages β€’ Search, message details, block, and report controls β€’ A private visual view of your contacts β€’ No contact-list upload OPEN SOURCE BY DESIGN PrivaMesh’s source code and protocol are public for inspection. Privacy should be verifiable in the architecture, not dependent on a company promise. Install PrivaMesh and keep your conversations private by design. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Relay Message4 screens
PrivaMesh4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Relay Message at none against PrivaMesh's 5. Relay Message also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. PrivaMesh sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Relay Message asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Relay Message ships an update every 9 days, PrivaMesh every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 4 level
Relay Message versus PrivaMesh: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRelay MessagePrivaMesh
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 9 days β€” betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
MonetizationFreeβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size43 MB8 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperMae Martins-CharavelRoni Blinder

In-app purchases

None

Relay Message

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

PrivaMesh

Subscriptions2
  • PrivaMesh+ Plus$5.991 Month
  • PrivaMesh Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
One-time3
  • 100 Messages$0.99
  • 500 Messages Pack$3.99
  • 1500 Messages Pack$9.99

Questions

Is Relay Message free?
Relay Message is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PrivaMesh free?
PrivaMesh is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Relay Message or PrivaMesh have ads?
Neither Relay Message nor PrivaMesh shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Relay Message or PrivaMesh?
Relay Message ships an update every 9 days, and PrivaMesh every 6 weeks. Most recently, Relay Message was updated on October 18, 2026 and PrivaMesh on October 12, 2026.

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