# Signal vs Nova Kit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nova Kit at none against Signal's 1. Signal's advantage is chart position (#9 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Nova Kit asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Signal | Nova Kit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 239 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Signal Messenger, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/874139672) | [Grayscale Consulting Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1861167861) |

## What reviewers say

### Signal

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Free · Social Networking, #132 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #134 Top Free (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted messaging, Free voice and video calls, Group chats up to 1000 people, Disappearing Stories, File sharing, Admin controls for groups

**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


### Nova Kit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-kit/id6758458060)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Signal free?

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

### Is Nova Kit free?

Nova Kit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Signal or Nova Kit have ads?

Neither Signal nor Nova Kit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Signal or Nova Kit?

Signal ships an update weekly, and Nova Kit weekly. Most recently, Signal was updated on October 28, 2026 and Nova Kit on October 28, 2026.

---

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