# Private Message Box vs Cerberus

The clearest difference is ads: Cerberus at none against Private Message Box's shown. Cerberus also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). Private Message Box's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Message Box sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Cerberus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Message Box ships an update monthly, Cerberus every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Message Box | Cerberus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-message-box/id907028613/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **20** | — |
| Positive reviews | 6.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Vartit Technology Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/907028616) | [Shahen Grigoryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1839815556) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Message Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-message-box/id907028613)

Secure your private conversations with password protection. Send unlimited texts, photos, and location details to other users for free. Enhance your privacy with a virtual number option.

**Highlights:** Password protected conversations, Free texting between users, Send unlimited text, photo, and location, Full emoji support, Virtual number for hidden communication, Privacy Guard

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proversion | $4.99 | per year |
| Buy Number - Zone1 Yearly | $21.99 | per year |
| Buy Number - Zone2 Yearly | $58.99 | per year |
| Buy Number - Zone3 Yearly | $102.99 | per year |
| Get SMS Balance | $6.99 | one-time |


### Cerberus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cerberus-private-secure-chat/id6811835565)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AirPact: Private Secure Chat | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Message Box free?

Private Message Box is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cerberus free?

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

### Do Private Message Box or Cerberus have ads?

Private Message Box shows ads; Cerberus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Private Message Box or Cerberus?

Private Message Box ships an update monthly, and Cerberus every 5 days. Most recently, Private Message Box was updated on October 1, 2026 and Cerberus on October 13, 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.*