SimpleX Chat

United Kingdom Messaging & chat

A UK-built messenger that is the first with no user identifiers of any kind - no phone number, no username, not even a random ID. End-to-end encrypted, fully open source, and decentralised across relay servers, making it one of the most metadata-resistant chat apps available.

Quick facts

Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Company SimpleX Chat Ltd
Founded 2021
Ownership Independent
Hosting 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Infrastructure Own infrastructure
Data jurisdiction UK
Open source Full
GDPR Compliant
Pricing Free · from Free
Free tier Yes
Platforms iOS, Android, Desktop
Languages
ENDEFRESIT
90 · Certified European
Get SimpleX Chat

Why does it score 90?

Legal jurisdiction
European HQ (outside EU/EFTA)
18/30
Ownership & control
Independent ownership
25/25
Data sovereignty
Own infrastructure
30/30
Accountability & trust
Fully open source + GDPR
12/15
Independence bonus
Bootstrapped, no outside investors
+5
EuroPoints total
90/100
How we calculate EuroPoints →

See how they compare

SimpleX Chat
Signal
Olvid
EuroPoints
90 Certified European
44 Not Very European
100 Certified European
Legal jurisdiction
European HQ (outside EU/EFTA)18/30
HQ outside Europe0/30
EU member-state HQ30/30
Ownership & control
Independent ownership25/25
Non-profit ownership25/25
Independent ownership25/25
Data sovereignty
Own infrastructure30/30
Mixed infrastructure (−5 US jurisdiction)7/30
Own infrastructure30/30
Accountability & trust
Fully open source + GDPR12/15
Fully open source + GDPR12/15
Partially open source + GDPR10/15
Independence bonus
Bootstrapped, no outside investors5/5
—
Bootstrapped, no outside investors5/5
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Mountain View, United States
Paris, France
Founded
2021
2013
2019
Open source
Full
Full
Partial
Infrastructure
Own infrastructure
Mixed infrastructure
Own infrastructure
GDPR
✓
✓
✓
Free tier
✓
✓
✓
Pricing
Free · from Free
Free · from Free
Freemium · from Free
Platforms
iOS, Android, Desktop
iOS, Android, Desktop
iOS, Android, Desktop
Languages
en, de, fr, es, it
en, de, fr, es, it, pt, nl, ar, zh, ja, ko, ru
en, fr, de, es, it

What does it replace?

Whatsapp Telegram Signal Wechat

More European Messaging & chat alternatives

#1

Signal

44 · Not Very European

United States

The gold standard for encrypted messaging. Open-source and non-profit.

See Signal details
#2

Olvid

100 · Certified European

France EU

French end-to-end encrypted messenger certified by ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency. Unlike Signal, requires no phone number or personal data to register. Used by the French government, recommended by French Prime Minister for ministerial communications.

See Olvid details
#3

Threema

95 · Certified European

Switzerland EFTA

Swiss encrypted messaging app requiring no phone number or email to register. End-to-end encrypted messages, calls, and groups. One-time purchase of CHF 4.99, with no subscription, no ads, and no data mining. Used by Swiss government and military.

See Threema details
#4

Briar

55 · Mixed Origins

United Kingdom Europe

A peer-to-peer encrypted messenger designed for activists, journalists, and anyone who needs resilient communication. Messages sync directly between devices over Tor, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth - with no central servers - built by a European non-profit with EU public funding.

See Briar details
#5

Session

62 · Mostly European

Switzerland EFTA

An encrypted messenger that needs no phone number or email - you get a random Session ID instead. Messages are onion-routed through a decentralised network of nodes, and the project moved its legal home to Switzerland in 2024 for stronger privacy protection.

See Session details