# SimpleX Chat review (2026): is it any good? > Private messenger that uses no user identifiers at all Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Team Communication - **Made by:** SimpleX Chat Ltd - **Website:** https://simplex.chat - **Runs on:** iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want a team workspace, as it is a messenger with groups. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, SimpleX Chat is free to use. - **Pricing model:** 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 https://simplex.chat/downloads/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with SimpleX Chat before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - People who do not want a phone number or account tied to their chats - Communities that want a privacy-focused alternative to centralized chat - Developers building bots on a published SDK ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source on every platform. No paid plan was published. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with every app, groups, channels and calls at no charge. - **Features: C.** Direct 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: B.** No rating on record, but you install it and start with no account to create. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No web version and no API on the pages read. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/team-chat ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: Chat that a whole team counts on staying up. - You could not: Video calls. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. - You could not: An API that other software can build on. - You could not: End-to-end encryption done properly. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Team chat, Open source, End-to-end encrypted, Video calls, Public API ## Alternatives - [Signal](https://toolgpa.com/tools/signal): Nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/signal-vs-simplex-chat) - [Briar](https://toolgpa.com/tools/briar): Serverless encrypted messaging that syncs over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/briar-vs-simplex-chat) - [Delta Chat](https://toolgpa.com/tools/delta-chat): Free decentralized messenger with end-to-end encryption. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/delta-chat-vs-simplex-chat) - [Matrix](https://toolgpa.com/tools/matrix): Open, decentralized network for chat and calls. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/matrix-vs-simplex-chat) - [Olvid](https://toolgpa.com/tools/olvid): End-to-end encrypted messenger needing no phone number. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/olvid-vs-simplex-chat) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://simplex.chat/ - https://simplex.chat/downloads/ - https://simplex.chat/faq/ - https://simplex.chat/privacy/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/simplex-chat Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).