Comparison

Kivo Messenger vs Rackon

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

Head to head
About

Kivo Messenger

Connect with friends and discover communities through private, end-to-end encrypted chats, calls, and interest-based groups. Manage multiple identities and share moments with customizable privacy settings.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
  • Private groups and calls
  • Public profiles and 'Moments' sharing
  • Interest-based 'Circles'
  • Multiple account identities
  • Local identity creation without phone number
Features
Read full description

Kivo Messenger brings private conversations and shared interests together. PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS Send end-to-end encrypted private messages, photos, files, voice messages and stickers. Create private groups and start voice or video calls. Add friends using a complete Kivo public address or searchable username. REGIONAL CALLING In mainland China, calls use Kivo's own interface and standard notifications. Open the app to answer a still-ringing call or call back. System calling remains available in supported regions. Background and lock-screen behavior varies by region. PEOPLE AND MOMENTS Create a public profile with your name, photo and interests. Choose whether people can discover you or start a private message request. Share text and photos in Moments, choose Public or Followers only, and join conversations through likes and comments. Private Stories remain a separate space for selected contacts or groups, with 24-hour expiry. CIRCLES AND VOICE Find circles around shared interests and request to join. An owner or administrator approves membership before you enter the circle's text, image and voice channels. Speaking roles and optional managed seats control who can use the microphone. Minimize a room while browsing inside Kivo; locking your phone or switching apps ends the room session. Circle and social activity appears inside Kivo. YOUR PROFILE AND ACCOUNTS Use a public profile for social spaces and a separate chat profile for private conversations. Keep up to three identities on one device and switch between unlocked accounts without entering the local password again. FREE VIP1 Opt into mutual-friend confirmation and reach ten eligible, confirmed friendships to earn permanent VIP1 and one circle-creation slot. Following someone or adding a private chat contact does not automatically count. Earned VIP1 stays with the account if friends are removed; deleting the account removes it. Joining circles does not require VIP1, but membership approval still applies. No paid membership is offered in this version. LOCAL IDENTITY, CLEAR RECOVERY Create a messaging identity with a local password, without a phone number, email address or SMS code. Kivo generates real Ethereum-compatible cryptographic keys and a corresponding 0x public address. In Kivo, that address identifies your messaging account and helps others find you. The keys sign Kivo login challenges to prove control of your identity. This version does not provide cryptocurrency balances, asset transfers, exchanges or blockchain transaction signing or broadcasting. A display name and searchable username are different. Keep your recovery phrase or private key safe: importing it restores the same messaging identity. A retained encrypted identity copy on this device can be restored with its local password. After reinstalling or moving to another device, you need the original recovery phrase or private key. Restoring an identity does not restore messages: chat history requires a separate encrypted backup and its key. Public profiles, Moments, circle channels and community voice rooms use Kivo's social services and have different visibility from private encrypted chats. Discovery is available to signed-in users who choose to participate. Public-profile blocking and reporting are available; private-message blocking is managed separately. Support: https://kivo.zhiera.com/support/ Privacy: https://kivo.zhiera.com/privacy/

About

Rackon

Features
Read full description

Rackon is an encrypted chat app built for private messaging without distractions. Send unlimited encrypted messages, make secure calls, and communicate freely knowing your words stay between you and the person you're talking to. End-to-End Encrypted Every message in this secure messaging app is protected with encryption. Your private messages are yours alone. Secure Calls & Messages Make encrypted voice calls and send private text messages instantly. This secure text messaging app keeps conversations confidential. No Tracking. No Data Sales. This private messaging app doesn't collect personal information. We're transparent about your privacy. Messaging the Way It Should Be No Feeds. No noise. No algorithmic posts. Just secure, direct communication with the people who matter. Privacy-First Design Simple interface, powerful encryption, complete control. Experience a better messaging app today. Features • End to end encrypted chat • Secure calls with encryption • Unlimited private messages • Dark & light themes • Ad-free experience • Lightweight performance • Block & report features Download Rackon now. Your privacy is guaranteed.

Screenshots

Kivo Messenger2 screens
Rackon4 screens

Verdict

The call

Kivo Messenger and Rackon are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kivo Messenger ships an update every 3 days, Rackon every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Kivo Messenger versus Rackon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKivo MessengerRackon
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size198 MB161 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperZhiEra LLCRackon LLC

In-app purchases

None

Kivo Messenger

No in-app purchases

None

Rackon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kivo Messenger free?
Kivo Messenger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rackon free?
Rackon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kivo Messenger or Rackon have ads?
Neither Kivo Messenger nor Rackon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kivo Messenger or Rackon?
Kivo Messenger ships an update every 3 days, and Rackon every 2 days. Most recently, Kivo Messenger was updated on October 31, 2026 and Rackon on October 29, 2026.

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