Session

Session is a decentralized messaging app for people who want encrypted conversations without signing up with a phone number or email address. It is a strong fit for privacy-conscious users who want mobile and desktop clients, but its public channels and beta calls have meaningful privacy limits.

Overview

Session’s onion-request routing is designed so no single server knows both who sent a message and who receives it. Its open-source code can be independently audited, and Quarkslab audited its desktop, Android, and iOS clients. That provides a stronger basis for evaluating its privacy design than a closed service, though encryption does not extend equally to every feature.

Private messages and group chats are encrypted, and disappearing messages add control over how long conversations remain visible. Groups can include up to 100 people. Communities are large public channels, not private group chats: they are not fully end-to-end encrypted, so they are a poor place for sensitive exchanges.

Attachments are encrypted on the device and stored through the Session File Server, but the 10MB limit rules out many larger files. Recovery also has limits: it retrieves messages from only the last 14 days, and contacts may be unrecoverable if all devices have been offline for more than 30 days. Anyone relying on Session for important conversations should account for that risk.

Key features

Messaging and calls

Encrypted group chats for up to 100 people and disappearing messages make Session useful for private everyday conversations as well as sizable groups. Calls are less mature: voice and video are beta, limited to one-to-one, and use peer-to-peer networking. A call can expose a user’s IP address to the other participant and an STF-operated STUN/TURN server, so users who prioritize call privacy should weigh that exposure before placing one.

Notifications

Mobile push notifications can use Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android and Apple Push Notification Service on iOS. That can make alerts more convenient, but it means Session’s privacy-minded routing is not the only system involved in mobile notifications.

Pricing

Session has a free plan at no cost, with encrypted messaging, attachments up to 10MB, and signup without a phone number. That covers the core use case without a subscription, but it does not include the Pro-specific extras.

Pro costs $2.99 a month. It raises the message limit to 10,000 characters and adds unlimited pinned conversations, animated display pictures, and badges. It suits users who want those personalization and organization features; anyone mainly seeking private messaging can stay on Free.

Platforms

Session supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, so the same service spans phones and desktop computers. Desktop clients have been audited alongside the mobile clients. The platform range is useful for people who want to keep conversations available across devices, though recovery limits still matter if devices are offline for extended periods.

Who it's for

Session is best for people who want account signup without contact details, encrypted messaging, and private groups that can scale to 100 members. It is less suitable for large-file sharing, confidential public-channel discussions, or users who need group calls. Those who depend on calls should also consider the beta status and potential IP exposure.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Signup requires neither a phone number nor an email address, keeping those contact details out of account creation.
• Pro: Onion-request routing, open-source code, and audited desktop and mobile clients give privacy-conscious users concrete safeguards to assess.
• Pro: Encrypted groups support up to 100 people, with disappearing messages for conversations that should not remain indefinitely.
• Con: Communities are public and not fully end-to-end encrypted, so they do not provide the same privacy as private chats.
• Con: Attachments stop at 10MB, and account recovery covers only the last 14 days of messages.
• Con: Beta calls are one-to-one only and may reveal the user’s IP address to the call partner and an STF-operated server.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Encrypted Messaging Apps. Choose Olvid instead if unlimited messages and attachments, secure group discussions, and ephemeral messages on a free plan better fit your needs. Wire is another freemium, open-source option, with clients for mobile, desktop, and web.

Jami is a free alternative. Choose Signal if free messaging and calling matter more than Session’s phone-number-free signup; Signal requires a mobile account for desktop. SimpleX Chat, Delta Chat, imo, and Keet are also alternatives to consider.

Verdict

Session is a compelling choice for users who want encrypted messaging and group chats without tying signup to a phone number or email address. Its routing design, open-source code, and audited clients support that privacy-first case. Look elsewhere if you need large attachments, dependable group calls, or a consistently end-to-end encrypted experience across public channels and calls.