Delta Chat vs Messenger

Delta Chat is a free, open-source instant messaging app for mobile and desktop, with support for self-hosting. It runs on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, and supports multiple profiles and devices. Messages travel through secure, interoperable chatmail relays and are end-to-end encrypted by default, including attachments and their metadata. Delta Chat uses a subset of OpenPGP with Secure-Join and Autocrypt. Servers can still see sender and receiver addresses and message size; other message, contact and group metadata is encrypted. Chats can include interactive web apps for gaming and collaboration. Android and iOS audio and video calls use peer-to-peer WebRTC, but a March 2026 post said the feature was still behind a debug setting. A classic email address can act as a relay only if used exclusively by chatmail clients, and classic email providers generally do not support push notifications. The FAQ says there are no immediate plans for a web client. The project links to a forum for support and feedback.

Messenger is Meta’s free messaging app for chatting and calling friends and family on Facebook and Messenger without needing a phone number. It is available on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Alongside messages and voice and video calls, it supports high-definition photos, animated stickers, GIFs, reactions, and chat themes. Stories photos and videos and shared Notes disappear after 24 hours, while sent messages can be edited for up to 15 minutes. Meta AI can answer questions, give advice, and help with homework, but is available only in select languages and countries. Meta says personal messages are becoming end-to-end encrypted by default, protecting message and call content in transit from Meta seeing or hearing it. Encrypted chat history can be saved in secure storage and accessed with a six-digit PIN or a key stored in Google Drive or iCloud. Disappearing messages are available only in end-to-end encrypted conversations and last 24 hours. The desktop apps for Windows and macOS offer group video calls, notifications, and chats synced across mobile and desktop.