Shortwave Messaging vs Ghost
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shortwave Messaging
Connect with people nearby through public messages within a 70-foot radius. This social networking app utilizes location services and Bluetooth to facilitate local communication.
- Public messaging
- 70-foot communication radius
- Location-based
- Bluetooth integration
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Public messaging with a 70-foot radius. Shortwave requires Location Services and access to Bluetooth.
Ghost
This messaging app offers end-to-end encrypted chats and voice calls for ultimate privacy. Connect anonymously without sharing personal information and enjoy group conversations with minimal metadata collection.
- End-to-end encryption
- Encrypted voice calling
- Anonymous profiles
- Group chats
- Minimal metadata collection
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Ghost is your ultra-private messaging companion—designed from the ground up for total peace of mind. With Ghost, your conversations stay truly yours: End-to-End Encryption Every message, image, and file is encrypted on your device and only decrypted on the recipient's device. Not even we can read your chats. Encrypted Voice Calling Make crystal-clear, one-on-one voice calls protected by the same encryption standards as your messages. Calls ring through even when your phone is locked, so you never miss an important call. Anonymous Profiles No phone numbers, no email addresses. Connect with friends and communities without revealing personal information. Group Chats Bring your circle together in encrypted group conversations without sacrificing the privacy you expect from every one-on-one chat. Minimal Metadata We collect only what's strictly necessary—such as app version and crash logs—to keep the service running smoothly. No ad tracking. No analytics. Whether you're a privacy advocate, a whistleblower, or simply someone who values discretion, Ghost keeps your conversations—and your calls—private and protected from prying eyes. Download now and start talking with complete confidence.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ghost at 4.1 against Shortwave Messaging's 3.0. Ghost also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 1). Shortwave Messaging's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
Ghost holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ghost has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Shortwave Messaging ships an update fortnightly, Ghost every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shortwave Messaging | Ghost |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.1 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cornfield Creative, LLC | Kacper Oselka |
Customer experience
Shortwave Messaging
Ghost
In-app purchases
Shortwave Messaging
No in-app purchases
Ghost
No in-app purchases









