Session icon
Session icon

Session

 99 likes

Session is the world's first open-source, decentralised private messenger to use industry-leading Signal Protocol encryption — without asking for your phone number.

Session screenshot 1
Session screenshot 2
+2
Session screenshot 3

License model

  • FreeOpen Source

Platforms

  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Linux  x64 Appimage
  • Android
  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • F-Droid
4.2 / 5 Avg rating (19)
99 likes
15comments

Features

Suggest and vote on features

Properties

  1.  Privacy focused

Features

  1.  Decentralized
  2.  End-to-End Encryption
  3.  Private messaging
  4.  Secure Chat
  5.  Encrypted Chat
  6.  GPLv3
  7.  Multiplatform
  8.  Video Calling
  9.  Ad-free
  10.  Dark Mode
  11.  No Tracking
  12.  VoiP Calls
  13.  No registration required

Session News & Activities

Highlights All activities

Recent News

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Recent activities

  • thejfex, 05dcx45x60, pixel-k88 and not_cool liked Session
    about 1 month ago
  • Xenne and L4sTLaugh liked Session
    about 2 months ago
  • App icon
    drliu1202 added Session as alternative to Berty
    3 months ago
  • sherekhan liked Session
    3 months ago
  • App icon
    K0RR added Session as alternative to Matrix Commander
    3 months ago
  • K0RR added Session as alternative to scli
    3 months ago
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Session information

  • Developed by

    Oxen team (ex. Loki Project)
  • Licensing

    Open Source (GPL-3.0) and Free product.
  • Rating

    Average rating of 4.2 (19 ratings)
  • Alternatives

    68 alternatives listed
  • Supported Languages

    • English
    • Croatian
    • Dutch
    • Finnish
    • French
    • German
    • Hindi
    • Indonesian
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Persian
    • Polish
    • Portuguese
    • Russian
    • Chinese
    • Sinhala, Sinhalese
    • Slovak
    • Spanish
    • Swedish
    • Thai
    • Vietnamese

AlternativeTo Categories

Social & CommunicationsSecurity & Privacy

Apple AppStore

  •   Updated Jan 23, 2025
  •   3.44 avg rating
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Our users have written 15 comments and reviews about Session, and it has gotten 99 likes

Session was added to AlternativeTo by Session on Feb 12, 2020 and this page was last updated Jan 31, 2023.

Comments and Reviews

   
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Comment summary: Session is praised for its privacy features, not requiring a phone number, and its decentralized open-source nature. Users appreciate its end-to-end encryption, ability to work across devices, and its similarity to Tor for anonymity. However, concerns are noted about reliance on Cloudflare, potential legal backdoors, and Windows Defender flagging the software. Some users find the network slow and the data attachment limit restrictive, and prefer alternatives like BriarProject for enhanced security.
sco
  
Top positive commentFeb 12, 2020

Better than Signal. Not necessary to leave a phone number.

9
james_PTG
  
Top negative commentSep 17, 2023

CON Keep all your data somewhere ! If you use the "recovery phrase" on another device all your exchanges are pull back to the news device !

PRO have voice message, voice call, video call.

My 2cent: I'll keep with BriarProject how is way more secure ! and do not keep any data. of course it's lack a ton of feature. but it's a choice to make.. (Privacy first)

-1
RemovedUser
  
Positive commentJul 26, 2023

One of the best options for private and anonymous communication!

I really like it for the backup and restore system of the account with similarity to Bitcoin, as well as the use of a network similar to the Onion network (TOR).

It also allows calls, sending files (images, videos, PDFs...), text messages, links, emojis, etc.

The reason for my choice was due to the fact that it doesn't ask for a phone number, nor does it ask for a link to email!

Some may criticize it for not being used much, for being a little slower and for having a 10 MB limit on sending data. But even so, I am a big fan of this software!.

2
c17s5qhu
  
Positive commentJun 4, 2023

Amen for privacy. Works on all platforms, multi platform login. Everything it needs to guarantee your privacy. Only the notifications can run behind on Android.

1
zzu
  
Positive commentMar 5, 2023

It's the best for privacy, nothing matches it in privacy feature set. Available on all platforms. Major con is a slow network (because of privacy features) thus less capable for video, but enough to send photos.

1
Carlos Garcia
  
Positive commentJan 23, 2023

Great privacy app running in Oxen Network. It's similar to Tor but in using blockchain and paying for nodes. Great!

1
Guest
  
Negative commentOct 25, 2022

Based on Oxen blockchain and Lokinet, all these Australian companies are legally obliged to introduce backdoors to all their encryption layers since 2018.

1 reply
kee

Reply written Jan 17, 2023

If this reply contains spam or other abuse, notify admins about it.
-3
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7 of 15 comments

What is Session?

Session is a new breed of private messenger, built on a unique network of user-operated servers spread all over the world. With no central servers, Session can’t leak or sell your data. And with Session’s private routing protocols, your messages are completely anonymous. No one ever knows who you’re talking to, what you’re saying, or even your IP address.

• Fully anonymous account creation: No phone number or email needed to create a Session ID

• Decentralised server network: No data breaches, no central point of failure

• No metadata logging: Session doesn't store, track, or log your messaging metadata

• IP address protection: Device IP addresses are never exposed to the person you're talking to or the servers holding your data

• Closed groups: Private, end-to-end encrypted group chats for up to 10 people

• Secure attachments: Share voice snippets, photos, and files with Session's secure encryption and privacy protections

• Multi-device syncing: One Session ID for your phone and computer

• Free and open-source: Don’t take our word for it — check Session's code yourself

Session is free as in free speech, free as in free beer, and free of ads and trackers. Session is built and maintained by the Loki Foundation, Australia’s first privacy tech not-for-profit organisation. Take back your online privacy today — download Session.

Want to build from source, report a bug, or just take a look at our code? Check out Session on GitHub: https://github.com/loki-project/session-android

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