The Delta Chat Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Delta Chat 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.
Delta Chat
The Insider’s Guide
Free decentralized messenger with end-to-end encryption
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Delta Chat’s own pages.
Made by Delta Chat contributors · checked Nov 13, 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 Delta Chat’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Delta Chat’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 67 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade
Delta Chat is a free, open-source messenger built on internet standards. Chat profiles are created instantly on chatmail relays, or on an ordinary email address, so there is no central company server. It has multi-device support, group chats and web apps that run inside chats.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Delta Chat, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There is no team workspace, no admin console and no paid support, only donations.
- 1
Best for encrypted chat over ordinary email servers
Delta Chat is a free messenger that sends encrypted chats over email-style relays, with apps for phones and desktops.
- 2
It is free
Delta Chat has no paid plan at all. The apps and the relay servers are free and open source; the project accepts donations.
- 3
It runs on 5 platforms
iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 4
Chatmail relays
Sign up to a chatmail relay for an instant chat profile, or use a classic email address as the relay.
- 5
Audited encryption
The site describes audited end-to-end encryption designed to hold up against network and server attacks.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 67 of 75
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Delta Chat is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Delta Chat at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Delta Chat contributors
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for encrypted chat over ordinary email servers
Delta Chat is a free messenger that sends encrypted chats over email-style relays, with apps for phones and desktops. There is no team workspace, no admin console and no paid support, only donations.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and open source, with the apps and relays at no charge. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright for every app, funded by donations. |
| Features | C | Chats, groups, multiple profiles and devices, and small web apps. A messenger with no channels or admin tools. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but chatmail relays let you start without setting up a server. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No API or integrations are listed. |
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 Delta Chat is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a messenger without one company's central servers
- Groups that already live on email and want end-to-end encryption
- Anyone who wants a free, open-source chat app on every device
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Delta Chat is free to use.
Free and open source, with the apps and relays at no charge.
Free
$0
All apps for phones and desktops at no charge. The project is funded partly by donations.
The free plan
The apps and the relay servers are free and open source; the project accepts donations.
Read from delta.chat on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Free decentralized messenger with end-to-end encryption. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, end-to-end encrypted, team chat.
Chats, groups, multiple profiles and devices, and small web apps.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Delta Chat is made by Delta Chat contributors.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
67/75
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Delta Chat's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 67 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 60 of 75) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Delta Chat has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 76 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Delta Chat’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 58 of 75
- AFree plan and trialAbove 60 of 75
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 75
- BEase of useAbove 58 of 75
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 75
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 66 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Delta Chat is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
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
Delta Chat is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 67 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Delta Chat’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
Signal, SimpleX Chat, Briar, Matrix and Element
The 5 tools Delta Chat is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Signal
Free
Nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls.
- Delta Chat is open source, according to its own site.
- Signal also covers video calls.
- 3.2GPA
SimpleX Chat
Free
Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all.
- SimpleX Chat also covers video calls.
- 3.0GPA
Briar
Free
Serverless encrypted messaging that syncs over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
- Only Delta Chat lists an iOS app.
- 3.0GPA
Matrix
Free
Open, decentralized network for chat and calls.
- Only Matrix lists a web app.
- Matrix is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard.
- Only Element lists a web app.
- Element is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls and file sharing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
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 Delta Chat free?
Yes. Delta Chat is free to use.
How much does Delta Chat cost?
Delta Chat lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Delta Chat work on?
Delta Chat is available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is Delta Chat open source?
Yes. Delta Chat is open source, according to its own site.
Is Delta Chat end-to-end encrypted?
Delta Chat describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Who makes Delta Chat?
Delta Chat is made by Delta Chat contributors.
What are the alternatives to Delta Chat?
The closest alternatives to Delta Chat in our directory are Signal, SimpleX Chat, Briar, Matrix and Element.
How does Delta Chat compare with other team communication apps?
Delta Chat's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 67 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is Delta Chat good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Delta Chat A for value for money. Delta Chat has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Delta Chat?
Delta Chat is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Delta Chat’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Delta Chat's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Delta Chat contributors. Prices change, so check delta.chat before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Delta Chat, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/delta-chat
- 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, "Delta Chat: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/delta-chat
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/delta-chat/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Delta Chat, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 76 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 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 Delta Chat’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. Delta Chat is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Delta Chat contributors. Prices and plans change: check delta.chat before you buy.