Olvid vs SimpleX Chat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SimpleX Chat grades higher than Olvid: 3.2 against 3.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Olvid grades higher on platforms. SimpleX Chat grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Olvid
End-to-end encrypted messenger needing no phone number
Which one is for you
Pick Olvid if
- Fits if you want an encrypted messenger that needs no phone number
- Works for companies that want an admin console and phone-managed deployment
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want outbound calls, at €4.99 a month for one person
- Watch out: prices are in euros only, with taxes included for individuals and excluded for business
- Watch out: the Enterprise plan adds a flat €4,990 a year on top of the per-user price
- Watch out: bots and AI add-ons have no published price
- Skip it if you need Linux, as it appears only on the pricing table and not the download page
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
| 3.0GPAOlvidVery good | 3.2GPASimpleX ChatVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe free plan has no message limits. Calling out needs €4.99 a month for one person, or €9.90 for business, so the useful extras sit around the category middle. | AFree and open source on every platform. No paid plan was published. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever for messages, attachments and groups. Outbound calls need a paid license after a one-month trial. | AFree outright, with every app, groups, channels and calls at no charge. |
| Features | CEncrypted messages, calls, edit and unsend, profiles and a management console. Outbound calls are paid. | 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 there is no phone number or account to set up. | BNo rating on record, but you install it and start with no account to create. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with bots and an enterprise management console. | BiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version and no API on the pages read. |
| Best for | encrypted chat without a phone number | 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: Olvid and SimpleX Chat. How we grade
Price against what you get
Olvid starts at about $5.57 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SimpleX Chat has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Olvid scores higher, and starts $5.57 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Olvid 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
- Olvid also covers chatbots.
At a glance
| Olvid | SimpleX Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase) | Free |
| Free plan | Free forever: unlimited messages and attachments, group discussions, multiple profiles, Olvid Web and inbound audio and video calls. | The apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux are free and open source. |
| Free trial | The pricing table shows a 1-month free trial of outbound calls for free-plan users. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Olvid | SimpleX Chat Ltd |
| Price read from | olvid.io | simplex.chat |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Olvid
- Prices are published in euros only; the in-app price includes taxes and the business prices exclude them.
- Outbound audio and video calls need a paid license after the 1-month trial.
- Olvid Web works with an Android-compatible device, and the Linux app is mentioned only on the pricing table, not the download page.
- Bots, Olvid x AI and a turnkey integration are options with no published price; a discount depends on the number of users.
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
Olvid
- No personal data to sign up
- The site says no phone number, email, name or address is required, and the app does not ask for the address book.
- Encrypted messages and calls
- Messages and attachments are end-to-end encrypted. Incoming calls are free for all users; outbound calls are a paid option.
- Edit, unsend and ephemeral messages
- Edit a sent message, delete it for the recipient or set automatic deletion by time or single read.
- Multiple profiles and devices
- Several profiles, including hidden ones, are on the free plan. The pricing page lists syncing all devices as a feature.
- Management Console
- The Enterprise offer adds SSO via OpenID Connect or SAML 2.0, CSV user import, group management and instant key revocation.
- Olvid Bots
- Information, command and chat bots automate messages and tools, sold as options on the business tiers.
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
Olvid
Free€0
forever
No limits on messages or attachment size, groups, edit and unsend, ephemeral messages and incoming calls.
In-app purchase€4.99
per user / month, incl. taxes, billed monthly
Individual license bought in the app through the App Store or Google Play, managed there. Outbound audio and video calls need a paid license.
Business€9.90
per user / month, excl. taxes, billed monthly
Bought on the Olvid Store; license activation links are handed to users. Outbound calls are included, with MDM deployment.
Enterprise€9.90
per user / month, excl. taxes, plus a flat €4,990 a year
Billed annually. Adds the Management Console, SSO, user and group management, instant revocation and MDM deployment.
SimpleX Chat
Free$0
All apps, direct chats, groups, channels and calls at no charge.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Olvid or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SimpleX Chat is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $5.57 a month for each person for Olvid. Olvid starts at €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase), and SimpleX Chat is free.
Which has a free plan, Olvid or SimpleX Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Olvid and SimpleX Chat have a free plan.
Which platforms do Olvid and SimpleX Chat run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Olvid lists a web app and only SimpleX Chat lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.