What is SimpleX Chat used for?

SimpleX Chat is a private messenger and protocol that works without any user identifiers, with end-to-end encryption, mobile apps and a terminal client. It is a good fit for private messaging without phone numbers, secure communication for journalists and activists, and metadata-minimizing chat.

Is SimpleX Chat open source?

Yes. SimpleX Chat is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at simplex-chat/simplex-chat and is written mainly in Haskell.

Is SimpleX Chat free?

Yes. SimpleX Chat is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host SimpleX Chat?

Yes. SimpleX Chat can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is SimpleX Chat an alternative to?

SimpleX Chat is an open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger and Telegram. Other open-source alternatives to WhatsApp include Signal iOS, Signal Android and Signal Desktop.

Is SimpleX Chat actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to SimpleX Chat was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v7.0.3, published on 26 September 2026. The project has 20k stars on GitHub.

SimpleX Chat: open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Viber

About SimpleX Chat

SimpleX is a messaging network built around the idea that it should not assign identifiers of any kind to its users, not even random IDs, which the project says makes it private by design. The goal is to protect not just message content but also metadata, meaning who talks to whom and when.

Messages use double-ratchet end-to-end encryption with an additional encryption layer. Apps are available for Android and iOS, with an iOS TestFlight preview that gets new features a week or two earlier but is limited in the number of users, and a terminal client runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. The README invites readers to install the app, connect to the team and user groups, make a private connection with a friend, help with translations and donate. The core is written in Haskell.

SimpleX Chat is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and its protocol and server software are open so that others can host relays. It is aimed at people who need stronger privacy guarantees than mainstream messengers provide, such as journalists, activists and privacy-conscious individuals.

Key features

No user identifiers of any kind
Protects message metadata
Double ratchet end-to-end encryption
Android and iOS apps
Terminal client for Linux, macOS and Windows
Open protocol and server software

Good fit for

→Private messaging without phone numbers
→Secure communication for journalists and activists
→Metadata-minimizing chat

Built with: Haskell
Tags: messaging; privacy; e2ee; encryption; chat; secure-messenger; haskell; decentralized; metadata-privacy

SimpleX Chat: questions and answers

What is SimpleX Chat used for?: SimpleX Chat is a private messenger and protocol that works without any user identifiers, with end-to-end encryption, mobile apps and a terminal client. It is a good fit for private messaging without phone numbers, secure communication for journalists and activists, and metadata-minimizing chat.
Is SimpleX Chat open source?: Yes. SimpleX Chat is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at simplex-chat/simplex-chat and is written mainly in Haskell.
Is SimpleX Chat free?: Yes. SimpleX Chat is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host SimpleX Chat?: Yes. SimpleX Chat can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is SimpleX Chat an alternative to?: SimpleX Chat is an open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger and Telegram. Other open-source alternatives to WhatsApp include Signal iOS, Signal Android and Signal Desktop.
Is SimpleX Chat actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to SimpleX Chat was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v7.0.3, published on 26 September 2026. The project has 20k stars on GitHub.