# Signal vs Send Safe Message

The clearest difference is rating: Signal at 4.7 against Send Safe Message's 4.0. Signal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 8 months). Send Safe Message's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Signal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Send Safe Message sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Signal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Signal has 1.1M ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Signal's written reviews are positive against 64% of Send Safe Message's.

Signal ships an update weekly, Send Safe Message every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Signal | Send Safe Message |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669/reviews)** | [4.0 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/send-safe-message/id1028884741/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 97 |
| Positive reviews | **67.7% of reviews** | 64.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 239 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signal Messenger, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/874139672) | [qaqee Tecnologia da informacao](https://appshunter.io/developer/863410441) |

## What reviewers say

### Signal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Free · Social Networking, #161 Top Free, #163 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

This messaging app prioritizes your privacy with strong end-to-end encryption for texts, voice messages, photos, videos, and files. Enjoy crystal-clear encrypted voice and video calls, and create disappearing stories. It's a non-profit, donation-supported alternative focused on secure communication.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted messaging, Encrypted voice and video calls, Group chats up to 1,000 people, Disappearing stories, File sharing, Non-profit, donation-supported

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Signal Secure Backups | $1.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Security and privacy
- 👍 Ease of use
- 🚀 Great call quality
- 🚀 Smooth and pleasant user interface
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Delayed message delivery
- 🐛 Inconsistent image/video quality
- 🐛 Buggy call functionality
- 🐛 Inability to edit sent messages
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Problem retrieving data, resulting in lost message history
- Keyboard covering the current conversation
- Inconsistent behavior when attaching photos/videos
- Scrolling issues when reading through messages
- Inability to recover message history after device change

**Requested features**

- Add filters and customization options
- Allow adding music to stories
- Implement a sticker store
- Add ability to pin messages in group chats
- Allow new members to view previous group messages


### Send Safe Message

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/send-safe-message/id1028884741)

Send private text and picture messages that automatically disappear after being viewed once. This encrypted messaging tool works across various platforms without requiring recipients to install anything.

**Highlights:** Self-destructing messages after one view, Send text and pictures, No recipient installation needed, Industry-standard encryption, Messages erased after weeks if not seen, Optional local message erasure

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Custom intro and no ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Signal free?

Signal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Send Safe Message free?

Send Safe Message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Signal or Send Safe Message?

Signal is rated higher. Signal averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Send Safe Message averages 4.0 from 97 ratings.

### Do Signal or Send Safe Message have ads?

Send Safe Message shows ads; Signal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Signal or Send Safe Message?

Signal ships an update weekly, and Send Safe Message every 8 months. Most recently, Signal was updated on November 1, 2026 and Send Safe Message on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*