Messaging App Comparisons

Open Source Open Source Software refers to computer programs that make their code freely available to the public. This allows for the code to be analyzed for any security flaws and malicious code. The code can also be "forked" and turned into a new application if anyone wishes to do so.

Default E2E Encryption E2E encryption, short for end‑to‑end encryption, is a feature that ensures a user’s messages cannot be read by the messaging provider. It works by having the sender encrypt the message on their device and then sending it to the recipient, who possesses the key needed to decrypt and read the message. This technique guarantees that the content remains unreadable during transit.

Encryption cannot be disabled In order to ensure that data is not leaked from the messenger, the application should not allow the user to disable encryption.

Metadata Protection Metadata is the information of everything that surrounds the message, such as when it was sent, who it was sent to, where it was sent from, etc. This information can be used to track and profile you, so some messengers encrypt certain parts of metadata to avoid collecting it at all.

No Email Required Relying on a single email address can link a person's real identity across multiple online accounts, creating significant privacy risks. While users can mitigate this by using email aliasing tools, a truly private messaging service should not require personal information at all to sign up.

No Phone Number Required Your phone number is a unique identifier that often links back to a person's identity. In some regions, obtaining a phone number even requires an ID, so not requiring a phone number reduces the likelihood that your messaging account can be tied to your real identity.

Perfect Forward Secrecy Perfect Forward Secrecy is a security feature that ensures that the compromise of a single encryption key does not lead to the decryption of past or future messages.

Independent Security Audit Independent security audits are important because they provide an unbiased, third-party evaluation of a system’s security, helping to identify vulnerabilities that internal teams might overlook. They enhance trust and accountability by verifying that security claims are accurate and that best practices are followed.

Transparency Report A Transparency Report is a report that a company releases that details how the company handles data and responds to government requests. These reports are important because they offer a verifiable way to see how a company upholds user privacy, manages content moderation, and complies with legal demands.