Signal vs SimpleX Chat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Signal
This messaging app prioritizes your privacy with strong end-to-end encryption for all communications. It offers free text, voice, and video messaging, including group chats and disappearing stories, all without collecting your data.
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Free voice and video calls
- Group chats up to 1000 people
- Disappearing Stories
- File sharing
- Admin controls for groups
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Signal is a messaging app with privacy at its core. It is free and easy to use, with strong end-to-end encryption that keeps your communication completely private. • Send texts, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs, and files for free. Signal uses your phone’s data connection, so you avoid SMS and MMS fees. • Call your friends with crystal-clear encrypted voice and video calls. Group calls supported for up to 50 people. • Stay connected with group chats up to 1,000 people. Control who can post and manage group members with admin permission settings. • Share image, text, and video Stories that disappear after 24 hours. Privacy settings keep you in charge of exactly who can see each Story. • Signal is built for your privacy. We know nothing about you or who you’re talking to. Our open source Signal Protocol means that we can’t read your messages or listen to your calls. Neither can anyone else. No back doors, no data collection, no compromises. • Signal is independent and not for profit; a different kind of tech from a different kind of organization. As a 501c3 nonprofit we are supported by your donations, not by advertisers or investors. • For support, questions, or more information please visit https://support.signal.org/ To check out our source code, visit https://github.com/signalapp Follow us on Twitter @signalapp and Instagram @signal_app
SimpleX Chat
This secure messaging app offers unparalleled privacy by eliminating user identifiers. Enjoy end-to-end encrypted messages, calls, and files with features like disappearing messages and incognito mode. Connect via invitation links without needing phone numbers or emails.
- No user identifiers
- End-to-end encrypted messages
- Disappearing messages
- Incognito mode
- Encrypted file and voice messages
- Secret chat groups
- Encrypted portable chat database
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SimpleX - the first messaging network without user identifiers of any kind (not even random numbers) - 100% private by design! Security assessments by Trail of Bits: 2022: https://simplex.chat/blog/20221108-simplex-chat-v4.2-security-audit-new-website.html 2024: https://simplex.chat/blog/20241014-simplex-network-v6-1-security-review-better-calls-user-experience.html SimpleX Chat features: - quantum resistant end-to-end encrypted messages, with editing, replies and deletion. - disappearing messages with opt-out per contact/group. - message reactions. - delivery receipts, with opt-out per contact or group. - multiple chat profiles, with hidden profiles. - app access and self-destruct passcodes. - incognito mode - unique to SimpleX Chat. - end-to-end encrypted images and files. - voice messages up to 5 minutes – also end-to-end encrypted. - "live" messages – they update for all recipients as you type them, every few seconds - unique to SimpleX Chat. - connect via one-time invitation links or via long-term public addresses. - secret chat groups - only group members know the group exists and who is the member. - end-to-end encrypted audio and video calls. - connection security code verification, for contacts and group members – to protect from man-in-the-middle attacks (e.g. invitation link substitution). - end-to-end encrypted push notifications (they contain only encrypted meta-data, not the actual content). - encrypted portable chat database - you can transfer your chat contacts and history to another device. - all local files and media are encrypted by default. - animated images and "stickers" (e.g., from GIF and PNG files and from 3rd party keyboards). SimpleX Chat advantages: - privacy of your identity, profile, contacts and metadata: unlike any other existing messaging platform, SimpleX uses no phone numbers or any other identifiers assigned to the users - not even random numbers. This protects the privacy of who you are communicating with, hiding it from SimpleX platform servers and from any observers. - complete protection against spam and abuse: as you have no identifier on SimpleX platform, you cannot be contacted unless you share a one-time invitation link or an optional temporary user address. - full ownership, control and security of your data: SimpleX stores all user data on client devices, the messages are only held temporarily on SimpleX relay servers until they are received. - decentralized proxied peer-to-peer network: you can use SimpleX Chat via your own relay servers and still communicate with people using pre-configured or any other SimpleX relay servers. - fully open-source code. You can connect to anybody you know via link or scan QR code (in the video call or in person) and start sending messages instantly - no emails, phone numbers or passwords needed. Your profile and contacts are only stored in the app on your device - relay servers do not have access to this information. All messages are end-to-end encrypted using open-source quantum resistant double-ratchet protocol; the messages are delivered via relay servers using open-source SimpleX Messaging Protocol. Please send us any questions via the app (connect to the team via the app settings!), email chat@simplex.chat or submit issues on GitHub (https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat/issues) Ream more about SimpleX Chat at https://simplex.chat Get source code in our GitHub repo: https://github.com/simplex-chat/simplex-chat Follow us on X/Twitter (@SimpleXChat), Reddit (r/SimpleXChat/) and Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@simplex) for the latest updates.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SimpleX Chat at none against Signal's 1. Signal's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 264). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Signal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. SimpleX Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.
Signal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Signal has 1.1M ratings behind it against 264, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Signal's written reviews are positive against 57% of SimpleX Chat's.
Signal ships an update every 6 days, SimpleX Chat every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Signal | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.1M ratings) — better | 4.3 (264 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 67.2% of reviews — better | 56.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.1M — better | 264 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #8 — better | #167 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 209 MB | 193 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Signal Messenger, LLC | SimpleX Chat |
Customer experience
Signal
SimpleX Chat
User reviews
Signal
From 1.1M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 Security and privacy
- 👍 Ease of use
- 🚀 Great call quality
- 🚀 Smooth and pleasant user interface
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption
Room to improve
- 🐛 Delayed message delivery
- 🐛 Inconsistent image/video quality
- 🐛 Buggy call functionality
- 🐛 Inability to edit sent messages
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications
SimpleX Chat
From 264 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption and quantum-resistant security
- 🔐 No phone number or personal data required
- 👤 Anonymous profiles and multiple identities
- 🚀 Fast message delivery when working properly
- 🎯 Decentralized and open-source architecture
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and instability
- 📬 Delayed or missing notifications (20+ minutes common)
- ⌨️ Keyboard issues on iOS (freezing, unresponsive)
- 🔌 Poor connectivity and message delivery failures
- 📱 iPad version not optimized
Bugs and requests
Signal
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
10 requests- 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
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Make group background changes visible to all
- Implement a backup/restore feature
- Add option to move sent messages to the left side
- Bring back pause and skip functions for longer audio messages
- Allow batch deletion of group messages
SimpleX Chat
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashes on startup (v6.2 update)
- Keyboard unresponsive on iOS 26
- Messages not appearing until app is opened
- Notifications not working despite correct settings
- Chat freezing and lag on iPhone
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- QR code scanning not working on iPad
- Desktop-phone sync connection failures
- Auto-delete messages interrupting voice recordings
- Typing inserts extra characters
- iOS 17 keyboard autofill interferes with typing
- Chat object unresponsive but moveable (delete)
- Backup restoration key confirmation fails if contact offline
- Server switching not reflected in chats
- Cannot change sending server for stuck messages
- Connection errors when creating chat links
- Video upload takes hours
- Call notifications appearing in Russian
- Random photo auto-attachment during typing
- Unable to unsend or delete sent attachments
Requested features
14 requests- Read receipts option
- Typing indicators
- Bot maker feature like Telegram
- Multiple image attachment with descriptions
- Better emoji reaction selection
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Mac desktop app
- Web app (PWA)
- iPad optimization
- Improved group discovery/search
- Global self-destruct message settings
- Pin photos in group welcome messages
- Chinese input method support
- Ringing tone during calls
- Speakerphone launch option before call pickup
In-app purchases
Signal
- Signal Secure Backups$1.991 Month
SimpleX Chat
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Signal free?
Is SimpleX Chat free?
Which has better reviews, Signal or SimpleX Chat?
Do Signal or SimpleX Chat have ads?
Which is updated more often, Signal or SimpleX Chat?
Which is more popular, Signal or SimpleX Chat?
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