SimpleX Chat review (2026): is it any good?
Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all
SimpleX Chat report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for private messaging with no user identifiers
SimpleX is a free, open-source messenger with no phone number, username or account ID. It has apps for phones and desktops, groups and calls. iOS notifications run through the company's servers, and one profile cannot run independently on several devices.
Who SimpleX Chat is for
- 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
Who SimpleX Chat is not for
- 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
Why SimpleX Chat gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree and open source on every platform. No paid plan was published.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with every app, groups, channels and calls at no charge.
- CFeaturesDirect chats, groups, channels, calls and linked devices. A messenger rather than a workspace, and a profile cannot run on several devices independently.
- BEase of useNo rating on record, but you install it and start with no account to create.
- BPlatforms and integrationsiPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version and no API on the pages read.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SimpleX Chat's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make SimpleX Chat? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/simplex-chat#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/simplex-chat.svg" alt="SimpleX Chat: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where SimpleX Chat stands among team communication apps
SimpleX 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).
SimpleX 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. SimpleX Chat’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 58 of 75, level with 17
- AFree plan and trialAbove 60 of 75, level with 15
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 75, level with 61
- BEase of useAbove 58 of 75, level with 11
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 75, level with 41
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 66 team communication apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep SimpleX Chat, or make your own?
Keep it
SimpleX 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.
- Video calls.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- An API that other software can build on.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
What this rests on. SimpleX 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.
What is SimpleX Chat?
SimpleX Chat is a free, open-source messenger whose network assigns no user identifiers, not even random ones, so servers do not hold a list of who talks to whom. Contacts, groups and channels are kept on the user's own device, and anyone can run a relay server.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
SimpleX Chat pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, SimpleX Chat is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux are free and open source.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | All apps, direct chats, groups, channels and calls at no charge. |
Read from simplex.chat on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with SimpleX Chat before you buy.
SimpleX Chat alternatives
- SimpleX Chat vs Olvid
Free plan · from €4.99/mo
Common questions
Is SimpleX Chat open source?
Yes. SimpleX Chat is open source, according to its own site.
Is SimpleX Chat end-to-end encrypted?
SimpleX Chat describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Does SimpleX Chat have an API?
Yes. SimpleX Chat offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.