Berty vs Cwtch
Berty
berty.tech
Cwtch
cwtch.imSide by side
| Figure | Berty | Cwtch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Encrypted Messaging Apps | 8.1 (#12) | 8.1 (#13) |
| Encryption | Messages and files are end-to-end encrypted by default, according to the FAQ. | Cwtch says all communication is end-to-end encrypted and takes place over Tor v3 onion services. |
| Founded | 2018 | The security handbook says the Cwtch project began in 2017 as an extension protocol for Ricochet. |
| Product | Berty is a privacy-first messaging app built on the Wesh Network protocol. | Cwtch is a decentralized, privacy-preserving, metadata-resistant messaging app. |
| Security limitation | The FAQ states that Berty has no mechanism in place to hide users’ IP addresses at present. | Cwtch has no global display-name registry, and its security handbook says users are more vulnerable to impersonation attacks as a result. |
Plans
In their own words
Cwtch
Cwtch is a free decentralized messaging app for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Direct conversations use Tor v3 onion services to create anonymous peer-to-peer connections between profiles, and Cwtch says communication is end-to-end encrypted over those services. Both participants must be online for peer-to-peer chat. Group conversations and offline delivery use a third-party server designed to learn as little as possible about message contents or metadata. Group messaging is experimental: users must enable the Experiments and Group Experiment settings, and the project calls metadata-resistant group communication an active research area. Conversation history is not preserved between sessions by default, though it can be enabled for an individual conversation. The protocol is open, allowing bots, services, and interfaces to integrate with Cwtch; core library, Go bindings, and interface code are linked as open source. There is no global display-name registry, which the security handbook says increases impersonation risk. The project recommends version 1.17.2, released October 2, 2026, for security fixes. The plan costs nothing.