The Olvid Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Olvid 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.
Olvid
The Insider’s Guide
End-to-end encrypted messenger needing no phone number
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Olvid’s own pages.
Made by Olvid · 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 Olvid’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Olvid’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
3.0
GPA, above 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade
Olvid is a messenger that asks for no phone number, email or name and says it never reads the address book. Messages, attachments and calls are end-to-end encrypted. It is free for individuals, with paid options for outbound calls and an enterprise edition with a management console and single sign-on.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Olvid, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Prices are in euros only and business prices exclude tax.
- 1
Best for encrypted chat without a phone number
Olvid is an encrypted messenger that needs no phone number or email.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $5.57 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free forever: unlimited messages and attachments, group discussions, multiple profiles, Olvid Web and inbound audio and video calls.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Edit, unsend and ephemeral messages
Edit a sent message, delete it for the recipient or set automatic deletion by time or single read.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 60 of 75
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Olvid you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Olvid at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- The pricing table shows a 1-month free trial of outbound calls for free-plan users.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Olvid
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for encrypted chat without a phone number
Olvid is an encrypted messenger that needs no phone number or email. Messages and attachments are unlimited on the free plan, but outbound calls need a paid license at €4.99 a month. Prices are in euros only and business prices exclude tax.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | The 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free forever for messages, attachments and groups. Outbound calls need a paid license after a one-month trial. |
| Features | C | Encrypted messages, calls, edit and unsend, profiles and a management console. Outbound calls are paid. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there is no phone number or account to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with bots and an enterprise management console. |
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 Olvid is for
- Fits if you want an encrypted messenger that needs no phone number
- Works for companies that want an admin console and phone-managed deployment
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Individuals who do not want a phone number tied to their chats
- Companies and public bodies that need an encrypted messenger with SSO
- Teams that want secure bots or AI assistants inside chat
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$5.57
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Olvid has a free plan. Paid plans start at €4.99 per user / month, incl. taxes (in-app purchase).
Free forever for messages, attachments and groups.
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.
The free plan
Free forever: unlimited messages and attachments, group discussions, multiple profiles, Olvid Web and inbound audio and video calls.
Trying it first
The pricing table shows a 1-month free trial of outbound calls for free-plan users.
Read from olvid.io 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: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
End-to-end encrypted messenger needing no phone number. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, end-to-end encrypted, team chat, video calls, chatbots.
Encrypted messages, calls, edit and unsend, profiles and a management console.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- OpenID Connect
- SAML 2.0
- LDAP
- Active Directory
Olvid is made by Olvid.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
60/75
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Olvid's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 51 of 75) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at about $5.57 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.90 for the category: 19 of the 51 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 76 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Olvid’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 47 of 75
- BFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 75
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 75
- BEase of useAbove 58 of 75
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 51 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. Olvid 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
To replace Olvid you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade. It costs $66.90 a year. Olvid is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Video calls.
- A chatbot builder hooked into the messaging apps.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. Olvid’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, Wire, Threema Work, SimpleX Chat and Element
The 5 tools Olvid 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.
- Only Olvid lists a web app.
- Only Signal lists a Linux app.
- Olvid is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.0GPA
Wire
Free plan · from €7.45/mo
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls for organizations.
- Only Wire lists a Linux app.
- Wire is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Olvid also covers chatbots.
- 2.4GPA
Threema Work
Free trial · from $3.00/mo
Encrypted business messenger from Switzerland.
- Olvid has a free plan. Threema Work does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Olvid lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Olvid is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
SimpleX Chat
Free
Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all.
- Only Olvid lists a web app.
- Only SimpleX Chat lists a Linux app.
- Olvid also covers chatbots.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard.
- Only Element lists a Linux app.
- Element is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Olvid also covers chatbots.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Olvid free?
Olvid has a free plan. Free forever: unlimited messages and attachments, group discussions, multiple profiles, Olvid Web and inbound audio and video calls.
How much does Olvid cost?
Olvid lists 4 plans. Free: €0 forever.
What platforms does Olvid work on?
Olvid is available on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
Does Olvid have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Olvid is listed for Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
Is Olvid open source?
Yes. Olvid is open source, according to its own site.
Is Olvid end-to-end encrypted?
Olvid describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
What does Olvid integrate with?
Olvid's listing names OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, LDAP and Active Directory.
Does Olvid have a free trial?
Yes. The pricing table shows a 1-month free trial of outbound calls for free-plan users.
Who makes Olvid?
Olvid is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Olvid?
The closest alternatives to Olvid in our directory are Signal, Wire, Threema Work, SimpleX Chat and Element.
How does Olvid compare with other team communication apps?
Olvid's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 60 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 6.
Is Olvid good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Olvid B for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $5.57 a month for each person, against a middle price of $6.90 for the category: 19 of the 51 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Olvid?
To replace Olvid you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Olvid’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 Olvid'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 Olvid. Prices change, so check olvid.io 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
- Olvid, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/olvid
- 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, "Olvid: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/olvid
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/olvid/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Olvid, 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 Olvid’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. Olvid is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Olvid. Prices and plans change: check olvid.io before you buy.