The Confer Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Confer in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Confer
The Insider’s Guide
End-to-end encrypted AI assistant from the creator of Signal
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Confer’s own pages.
Made by Confer Enterprises, Inc · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Confer’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Confer’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 4 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Confer is a private AI assistant built by Moxie Marlinspike, the creator of Signal. Chat history, folders, memories and attachments are end-to-end encrypted with keys that stay under your control, and prompts are processed inside a hardware-isolated environment that the operator cannot read. It covers writing help, image understanding, web search with sources, memory, folders with shared files, and connectors to Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar, on the web and on iPhone.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Confer, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Your keys come from a passkey, so there's no password to invent, and you can import your ChatGPT conversations.
- 1
Best for end-to-end encrypted AI chat
It also searches the web, edits documents and connects to Gmail.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $34.99 (Confer Membership, US App Store; billing period not shown).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free to start with no credit card: up to 5 chats and a daily message limit. Attachments, connectors and folder custom instructions are Member features.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS.
- 5
End-to-end encrypted history
Chat history, folders, memories and attachments are encrypted with keys derived from a passkey, so the server stores only ciphertext. Recovery keys can unlock the data on your other devices.
- 6
Private inference
Prompts travel over an encrypted channel into a confidential VM. The client checks the hardware attestation against a public transparency log, and the code for that environment is published.
- 7
Web search, images and file work
Answers can draw on web search with sources and on attached photos and files, and Confer can create or edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations and images or run code.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 4 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Confer you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Confer at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $34.99 (Confer Membership, US App Store; billing period not shown)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS
- Made by
- Confer Enterprises, Inc
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for end-to-end encrypted AI chat
Confer is a private AI assistant from Moxie Marlinspike, who made Signal: your chats, memories and files are end-to-end encrypted, and prompts run in a sealed environment the operator can't read. It also searches the web, edits documents and connects to Gmail. But the free plan stops at 5 chats, the $34.99 membership names no billing period, it runs one open-weight model, and it's web and iPhone only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The membership is $34.99 as an in-app purchase on the US App Store with no billing period shown, and the website shows no price at all before you sign in. We can't tell you if that's a month or a year, which is the whole difference. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free to start with no card, but you're capped at 5 chats at a time and a daily message limit, and attachments, connectors and folder instructions are for Members only. Enough to try it, too tight to stay on. |
| Features | C | Web search with sources, photos and files, documents and spreadsheets it can make, memory you can delete, folders with their own instructions and Gmail connectors. The basics, with the encryption as the point, on one open-weight model it picks for you. |
| Ease of use | B | Your keys come from a passkey, so there's no password to invent, and you can import your ChatGPT conversations. Keep the recovery key, or you won't open your chats on another device. No rating on record to go by. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | The web and iPhone, and that's it. The App Store listing says iPhone only and iOS 26 or later, and no Android or desktop app is listed. Members get connectors to Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Confer is for
- Fits if you talk to AI about health, money or work and want no readable record on a server
- Works for people who want Signal-style encryption applied to AI chat
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're on Android or want a desktop app, because it's the web and iPhone only, on iOS 26 or later
- Not for you if you want GPT, Claude or Gemini, as it runs on an open-weight model it picks for you
- Tight if you're staying free, with 5 chats at a time, a daily message limit and no attachments or connectors
- Watch out: the membership is $34.99 on the App Store with no billing period shown, and the website shows no price before sign-in
- Watch out: lose the recovery key and you won't open your chats on another device
Good to know
Good for
- Discussing health, money or work without leaving a readable server-side record
- People who trust Signal's approach and want the same for AI chat
- Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar users who want private connectors
Worth knowing
- The membership is listed at $34.99 as an in-app purchase on the US App Store with no billing period shown, and the website shows no price before sign-in.
- The free plan is capped at 5 chats and a daily message limit; attachments, connectors and folder custom instructions need a membership.
- It is available on the web and iPhone only. The App Store listing says the app is only for iPhone and requires iOS 26 or later.
- Confer runs on an open-weight model that it selects; its site does not list models from OpenAI, Anthropic or Google.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$34.99
To start. There is a free plan too
Confer has a free plan. Paid plans start at $34.99 (Confer Membership, US App Store; billing period not shown).
We can't tell you if that's a month or a year, which is the whole difference.
Free
$0
Up to 5 chats at a time and a daily message limit. Attachments, connectors and custom instructions for folders are reserved for Members.
Confer Membership
$34.99
in-app purchase on the US App Store; period not shown
Removes the cap on chats and adds attachments, connectors for Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive, and custom instructions for folders.
The free plan
Free to start with no credit card: up to 5 chats and a daily message limit. Attachments, connectors and folder custom instructions are Member features.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Confer Membership”, against $34.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $44.99 | $31.62 | 10% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 599ribu | $33.50 | about the same |
| Germany | 29,99 € | $33.61 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 3,499 | $36.17 | about the same |
| Australia | $59.99 | $41.88 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R699.99 | $42.34 | 21% more |
| Mexico | $799.00 | $43.90 | 25% more |
| Brazil | R$ 229,90 | $45.93 | 31% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and iOS
End-to-end encrypted AI assistant from the creator of Signal. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: end-to-end encrypted, AI features, chat assistant, AI search.
The basics, with the encryption as the point, on one open-weight model it picks for you.
- End-to-end encrypted history
- Chat history, folders, memories and attachments are encrypted with keys derived from a passkey, so the server stores only ciphertext. Recovery keys can unlock the data on your other devices.
- Private inference
- Prompts travel over an encrypted channel into a confidential VM. The client checks the hardware attestation against a public transparency log, and the code for that environment is published.
- Web search, images and file work
- Answers can draw on web search with sources and on attached photos and files, and Confer can create or edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations and images or run code.
- Memory you control
- Persistent memory carries context from one conversation to the next. You can review, edit and delete what it remembers, and import conversations from ChatGPT.
- Folders with files and instructions
- Folders group conversations, carry their own custom instructions and hold PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets and other files that every chat in the folder can reference.
- Client-side connectors
- Connectors for Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar run on your device: access tokens are stored encrypted and the results do not pass through Confer's servers in readable form.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
What it works with
- Gmail
- Google Drive
- Google Calendar
Confer is made by Confer Enterprises, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Confer's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 21 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Confer’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 57
- BEase of useAbove 21 of 57
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 57
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Confer you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 46 of the 57 other AI assistants grade higher.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. Confer’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lumo, Venice, Maple AI and Duck.ai
The 4 tools Confer is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Lumo
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Proton's private AI assistant with zero-access encrypted chats.
- Only Lumo lists an Android app.
- Confer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Lumo is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Venice
Free plan · from $18/mo
Privacy-focused AI app for chat, images and video across many models.
- Only Venice lists an Android app.
- 2.4GPA
Maple AI
Free plan · from $20/mo
End-to-end encrypted AI chat that runs open models in enclaves.
- Only Maple AI lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Maple AI is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Duck.ai
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Private, anonymized chat with third-party AI models.
- Only Duck.ai lists macOS, Windows and Android apps.
- Confer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Confer also covers AI search.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Confer free?
Confer has a free plan. Free to start with no credit card: up to 5 chats and a daily message limit.
How much does Confer cost?
Confer lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Confer work on?
Confer is available on Web and iOS.
Does Confer have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Confer is listed for Web and iOS.
Does Confer have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Confer is listed for Web and iOS.
Is Confer open source?
Confer is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Is Confer end-to-end encrypted?
Confer describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
What does Confer integrate with?
Confer's listing names Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Confer?
Confer is made by Confer Enterprises, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Confer?
The closest alternatives to Confer in our directory are Lumo, Venice, Maple AI and Duck.ai.
How does Confer compare with other AI assistants?
Confer's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 4 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 7.
Could I make my own version of Confer?
To replace Confer you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Confer’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Confer's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-03.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Confer Enterprises, Inc. Prices change, so check confer.to before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Confer, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/confer
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Confer: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/confer
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/confer/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Confer, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Confer’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Confer is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Confer Enterprises, Inc. Prices and plans change: check confer.to before you buy.