Comparison

MsgSecret vs GridBar

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MsgSecret

Securely encode and decode messages to protect your privacy from message providers and prying eyes. Share your ciphered messages via email, SMS, social media, and more. Offers multiple ciphering methods for varying security levels.

Highlights
  • Encode and decode messages
  • Multiple ciphering methods
  • Share via email, SMS, social media
  • Passcode/fingerprint authentication
  • Save ciphering settings for quick access
  • Shake gesture for encoding/decoding
Features
Read full description

MsgSecret helps you keep the meaning of your messages off the network in plain form. You set up your cipher, encrypt on device, and share ciphertext through any app or pasteboard. Service providers and platforms see letters and symbols, not your original words, which reduces what they can infer from the payload alone. MsgSecret is built for encoding and decoding in one place. You choose a classic cipher, run encrypt or decrypt, and copy the result to share or store. Separate fields for plaintext and ciphertext make it easy to work without overwriting your last step. Several methods are available with different complexity; the app explains each one so you can pick what fits your situation. To get started quickly, a tutorial runs the first time you open the app and stays available from the menu. You can revisit cipher details anytime under About ciphers. Each transformation uses a small amount of credits; you can earn more credits when you need them by watching an optional rewarded ad. Features * Hide your message from all message service providers * Encode and decode text with multiple classic cipher methods * Keep encrypt and decrypt buffers separate so you can switch tasks safely * Copy ciphertext and paste into Email, SMS, chat, and social apps, or the reverse for decoding * Built-in tutorial and cipher reference so setup stays straightforward * Optional rewarded videos to earn credits when your balance runs low * Designed for iPhone and iPad with a focused dark interface

About

GridBar

Features
Read full description

Your boards. Now in your pocket. GridBar on the Mac is a board of keys you summon with a hotkey. This is the same board on your iPhone and iPad — your keys, in the order you built them, one tap away. WHAT A TAP DOES Links open. Calls dial. Mails start with the subject already filled in. Apple Shortcuts run. One tap, one thing, no menu diving. YOUR FIRST BOARD ARRIVES ON ITS OWN Sync is no longer Pro-only. The first board you built on the Mac mirrors here without Pro, so this app opens on your own keys instead of an empty grid. Pro carries every further board, the stash and your workspaces. WHAT STAYS AT THE DESK App launches, file paths, workspaces and keystrokes have no phone equivalent. Those keys keep their place in the grid but sit dimmed with a Mac badge, so you always know what travels and what waits at the desk. THE STASH COMES ALONG Copy something on the Mac and it is here seconds later. Tap text to copy it, tap a link to open it, share an image straight out of the row. Paste on the phone and it is back on the desk when you sit down. BUILD RIGHT HERE Add link, call, mail and Shortcut keys on the phone — name, color, done. They sync back to every Mac you own. ASK THE SYSTEM Every key the phone can fire is something the system understands. Run it from the Shortcuts app, ask Siri, or start it from Spotlight without opening GridBar first. A BOARD PER CONTEXT Work, home, studio. Switch from the toolbar, pull down to fetch the latest from iCloud. SYNC YOU CAN TRUST Boards and stash mirror between Mac, iPhone and iPad through your own iCloud account. Backups before every merge, newest edit wins, and a message in plain language if anything ever cannot sync. WORKS ON ITS OWN No Mac required to start. Build a board here, and it is waiting when you install GridBar on the desk. GRIDBAR PRO One unlock lifts every cap: boards and keys without limit, routines, Shortcut keys, and sync for every board and the stash. It covers Mac and iOS together. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Native Swift. No telemetry, no account, no servers of ours. Your boards live on your devices and in your iCloud. Made by Balane. Feedback: contact@balane.app Support: support@balane.tech Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MsgSecret4 screens
GridBar2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GridBar at every 2 weeks against MsgSecret's every 68 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MsgSecret sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GridBar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MsgSecret ships an update every 68 months, GridBar every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MsgSecret versus GridBar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMsgSecretGridBar
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 68 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHassan ChizariJonas Hoettler

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MsgSecret

One-time1
  • Unlimited Encryption without Adv$0.99
1 purchases

GridBar

One-time1
  • GridBar Pro$8.99

Questions

Is MsgSecret free?
MsgSecret is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GridBar free?
GridBar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MsgSecret or GridBar have ads?
Neither MsgSecret nor GridBar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MsgSecret or GridBar?
MsgSecret ships an update every 68 months, and GridBar every 2 weeks. Most recently, MsgSecret was updated on October 5, 2026 and GridBar on September 28, 2026.

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