Privacy Messenger Comparison
An honest look at how ZChat compares with Signal, Session, and SimpleX across 16 axes. We believe transparency builds trust.
| Feature | ZChat | Signal | Session | SimpleX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity requirement | None (Zcash address from seed phrase) | Phone number | None (Session ID) | None |
| Message transport | Zcash blockchain (shielded transactions) | Signal servers (centralized) | Lokinet (decentralized onion routing) | SimpleX relays (federated) |
| Message storage | On-chain (Zcash blockchain) | Device only (ephemeral on server) | Swarm nodes (temporary) | Relay queues (temporary) |
| On-chain metadata hidden | Yes (shielded pool) | N/A (no blockchain) | N/A | N/A |
| Server sees metadata | Lightwalletd sees IP | Minimal (sealed sender) | Minimal (onion routing) | No user identifiers |
| Forward secrecy | No | Yes (Double Ratchet) | No | Yes (Double Ratchet) |
| E2E encryption | ECDH + AES-256-GCM | Signal Protocol | Session Protocol | Double Ratchet |
| Third-party audit | No (Zcash protocol audited) | Yes (multiple) | Yes (Quarkslab 2024) | Yes (Trail of Bits 2024) |
| Open source | Yes (GPLv3) | Yes (AGPLv3) | Yes (GPLv3) | Yes (AGPLv3) |
| Group messaging | In development | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File sharing | Planned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice / video calls | Planned | Yes | Yes (voice) | Yes |
| Platforms | Android (beta) | Android, iOS, Desktop | Android, iOS, Desktop | Android, iOS, Desktop |
| Payments built-in | Yes (ZEC) | Previously (MobileCoin, removed) | No | No |
| Dead Man's Switch | Planned (auto-wipe after inactivity) | No | No | No |
| Remote data wipe | Planned (destroy app data remotely) | No | No | No |
Who should choose what?
Every messenger makes trade-offs. Here is our honest take on who each option serves best.
Signal
Recommended for most people. Battle-tested, widely adopted, supports all platforms. If you need a secure messenger today, use Signal.
Session
Best for users who want decentralized messaging without phone numbers and don’t need forward secrecy. More mature than ZChat.
SimpleX
Best for maximum server-side privacy. No user identifiers at all, even at the protocol level.
ZChat
Best for Zcash users who want messaging integrated with ZEC payments, or users who specifically want messages stored as blockchain transactions. Currently Android-only beta without a third-party audit.
This comparison was last updated in February 2026. We are committed to keeping it accurate. If you spot an error, please open an issue on GitHub.