Delta Chat vs SimpleX Chat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Delta Chat and SimpleX Chat share a 3.2 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Delta Chat if
- Fits if you want a free private messenger that works across phones and desktops
- Works for friends or families who would rather not use a phone number
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want team channels or an admin console, as there are none
- Skip it if you want paid support, since funding is by donations
- Watch out: minimum systems apply, including Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10
- Too light for workplace chat, with no workspace structure
Pick SimpleX Chat if
- Fits if you do not want to give a phone number or email
- Works for privacy-minded people who want groups and calls on phone and desktop
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a team workspace, as it is a messenger with groups
- Watch out: iOS push notifications go through servers run by SimpleX Chat Ltd
- Watch out: a mobile profile can link to a desktop but not run independently on several devices
- Skip it if you want a browser version, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPADelta ChatVery good | 3.2GPASimpleX ChatVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with the apps and relays at no charge. | AFree and open source on every platform. No paid plan was published. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for every app, funded by donations. | AFree outright, with every app, groups, channels and calls at no charge. |
| Features | CChats, groups, multiple profiles and devices, and small web apps. A messenger with no channels or admin tools. | CDirect chats, groups, channels, calls and linked devices. A messenger rather than a workspace, and a profile cannot run on several devices independently. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but chatmail relays let you start without setting up a server. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start with no account to create. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No API or integrations are listed. | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version and no API on the pages read. |
| Best for | encrypted chat over ordinary email servers | private messaging with no user identifiers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Delta Chat and SimpleX Chat. How we grade
Price against what you get
Delta Chat has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimpleX Chat has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Delta Chat for less, and none scores higher than SimpleX Chat for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- SimpleX Chat also covers video calls.
In commonFree planiOSAndroidmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceEnd-to-end encryptedTeam chat
At a glance
| Delta Chat | SimpleX Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The apps and the relay servers are free and open source; the project accepts donations. | The apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux are free and open source. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Delta Chat contributors | SimpleX Chat Ltd |
| Price read from | delta.chat | simplex.chat |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Delta Chat
- There is no team workspace, channel structure or admin console; it is a messenger with group chats.
- Minimum systems named on the download page include Android 5.0, iOS 15.6, macOS 12 and Windows 10.
- Funding is by donations, so there is no paid support plan on the site.
SimpleX Chat
- iOS push notifications currently go through servers run by SimpleX Chat Ltd, according to the privacy policy.
- The FAQ has an entry on why one profile cannot be used independently on several devices; a mobile profile can only be linked to desktop.
- The site describes future paid server credits for large communities, but no paid plan was published when read.
Key features
Delta Chat
- Chatmail relays
- Sign up to a chatmail relay for an instant chat profile, or use a classic email address as the relay.
- Audited encryption
- The site describes audited end-to-end encryption designed to hold up against network and server attacks.
- Multiple profiles and devices
- Run several chat profiles and use the same one on more than one device. The desktop apps do not need a phone install.
- Interactive web apps
- Small web apps open inside a chat for games and collaboration.
- Interoperability
- Built on internet standards, so users on different relays and clients can message each other.
- Open-source apps
- Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux apps are published with source code, along with alternative third-party clients.
SimpleX Chat
- No user identifiers
- The site says the network has no user IDs of any kind; each connection uses separate queues instead of an account.
- Contacts stored on your device
- Contacts and groups live on the device, not in a server database, and chat profiles can be separated.
- Groups and channels
- Group chats, public channels and a community directory are covered in the guide, with a bot SDK for automations.
- Audio and video calls
- Calls are available in the apps; the FAQ says the app shows whether a given call has end-to-end encryption.
- Linked devices
- A mobile profile can be linked to the desktop app; the FAQ says one profile cannot be used independently on several devices.
- Run your own servers
- Guides explain how to host message, file and WebRTC servers; the site says no single entity controls the network.
Plans
Delta Chat
Free$0
All apps for phones and desktops at no charge. The project is funded partly by donations.
SimpleX Chat
Free$0
All apps, direct chats, groups, channels and calls at no charge.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Delta Chat or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Delta Chat and SimpleX Chat are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Delta Chat or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Delta Chat and SimpleX Chat have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.