CLUSTER END-ENCRYPTED-MESSAGING · 31 ENTRIES · EARLIEST ENTRY 2021-01-09
Decentralized encrypted messaging apps
This cluster comprises messaging apps emphasizing decentralized, end-to-end encrypted communication without requiring phone numbers or accounts. Entries appear sporadically from August 2012, with a concentration of four in June 2026. Hollow-chat leads on traction with 3 activity stars, while Safechat-pro and NtfyChat have none.
Entry timeline
ENTRY TIMELINE
Each bar is the month a member carries, which is a creation date where the source published one and a crawl date otherwise. Nothing in the index was found before 11 August 2026, and coverage broadened sharply on 14–15 August, so a bar from then on reports how much we found that month, not how much was built; an earlier bar reports how far back a member's own source dated it — not how long we have been watching.
Members by activity
Activity signals, not revenue.
Build origin · 3 hand-coded · 8 unlabelled
Operator · 1 hobby · 2 commercial · 3 open source · 5 unlabelled
Two labels per entry, never collapsed into one: how it was built, and who stands behind it. Counted over the 11 listed below. Unlabelled means nothing has decided yet — not that the answer is small.
- 21RELAY0★3 mo—hobbyEnd-to-end encrypted messaging app that enables secure chat without requiring a phone number.
- 22UP-Messenger0★8 mostalelivecommercialPrivacy-preserving messenger with encrypted end-to-end messages, calls, and rooms, without monetizing user data.
- 23Bazon – Private Messenger0★5 molivePrivacy-focused messenger offering end-to-end encrypted chats and calls with no ads or trackers.
- 24Kedr0★1 yrabandonedliveAnonymous encrypted messenger for texting, calling, and file sharing that works without a phone number or contacts.
- 25Ginlo Private0★2 yrabandonedlivecommercialPrivacy-focused messaging app that offers encrypted chats, calls, and file sharing with no ads and no tracking.
- 26Smoke0★2 yrabandonedliveopen sourceMobile messaging app that provides decentralized, end-to-end encrypted communication without requiring phone numbers, accounts, or internet connectivity.
- 27TopSecret Chat - OTR Messenger0★2 yrabandonedliveTopSecret Chat is a secure messaging app for anonymous and untraceable communications, using end-to-end encryption and no logging.
- 28Zing Messenger0★6 yrabandonedlivehand-codedFree secure messaging app with encrypted voice calls and no ads, suitable for personal communication.
- 29Air Chat0★9 yrabandonedlivehand-codedEncrypted messaging app that automatically detects nearby users and exchanges text messages over Bluetooth without requiring internet or cellular service.
- 30DeltaChat0★unknownliveopen sourceMessaging app that sends and receives encrypted chat messages using a person's existing e-mail account instead of a separate sign-up.
- 31Silence0★7 yrabandonedlivehand-codedopen sourceMobile messaging app that encrypts SMS and MMS conversations end-to-end so messages remain private without requiring internet access or new accounts.
Ranked by traction, highest first, and paged 20 at a time — this is a window on the cluster, never the whole of it. Ties are broken by a stable id so a product cannot appear on two pages or fall between them. Browse every cluster.