Comparison

BurnPony Self vs CipherPigeon

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

Head to head
About

BurnPony Self

Features
Read full description

Write a secret. Share one link. It reads once and burns. BurnPony encrypts your note on your phone before anything is sent. The server stores only ciphertext it cannot read, the decryption key travels in a part of the link that browsers never transmit, and the recipient needs nothing but a browser. No app on their side, no account on yours. WHAT IT DOES One link, any recipient, any device with a browser. View limits from 1 to 100, expiry from 5 minutes to 30 days, an optional auto-hide timer after reveal. Optional passphrase as a second factor, shared through a different channel than the link. Read receipts, honestly: the recipient is told before they open. No silent tracking, ever. Labels that never leave your phone: name a note "wifi password for mom" and the read notification says so, while the server knows nothing. Sent Notes: live status, view counts, change the expiration after sending, burn early with a swipe. The recipient page speaks nine languages, following the reader's browser. WHY YOU CAN CHECK INSTEAD OF TRUST The entire system is open source: this app, the server, and the recipient page, with a written protocol specification and cross-implementation test vectors. The note page is byte-reproducible from its published source, so View Source is a real audit, not a gesture. You can even run your own server and point the app at it from Settings. HONEST LIMITS Self-destruction limits exposure; it cannot un-share. A recipient can always copy or photograph a revealed note, and BurnPony says so on the note page itself, because a privacy tool that overpromises is worse than none. From NorseHorse, maker of PGPony, CarrierPony, AgePony, RelayPony, and QuorumPony.

About

CipherPigeon

Securely encrypt text and images on your device before sending them through any messaging platform. Protect your sensitive information with on-device encryption and manage multiple passphrases for different contacts.

Highlights
  • On-device text encryption
  • Image encryption to .cpg files
  • Cross-platform messaging compatibility
  • Secure passphrase management
  • Zero account or cloud storage required
Features
Read full description

Encrypt anything. Send it anywhere. CipherPigeon is a mobile encryption tool that works across every messaging platform — no accounts, no servers, no compromise. Whether you're sending a sensitive message over SMS, email, WhatsApp, or Discord, CipherPigeon encrypts it before it ever leaves your screen. Even if the network is compromised, all anyone sees is meaningless cipher text. TEXT ENCRYPTION Type your message, enter your passphrase, and encrypt it instantly. Copy the encrypted packet and paste it into any app. Your recipient decrypts it with CipherPigeon using the same passphrase. IMAGE ENCRYPTION Lock photos into encrypted .cpg files and share them anywhere. Only someone with CipherPigeon and the correct passphrase can unlock them. KEY VAULT Store and manage multiple passphrases securely on your device for different contacts or use cases. WHY CIPHERPIGEON? • Zero accounts required • Zero cloud storage • 100% on-device encryption • Works on any messaging platform • No data ever leaves your device unencrypted Engineered by Vespera Systems. Encrypt everything. Trust nothing

Screenshots

BurnPony Self4 screens
CipherPigeon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: CipherPigeon at 15.1 against BurnPony Self's 18.6. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
BurnPony Self versus CipherPigeon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBurnPony SelfCipherPigeon
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKevin StewartVespera Systems

In-app purchases

None

BurnPony Self

No in-app purchases

None

CipherPigeon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BurnPony Self free?
BurnPony Self is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CipherPigeon free?
CipherPigeon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BurnPony Self or CipherPigeon have ads?
Neither BurnPony Self nor CipherPigeon shows ads.

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