Sendant vs Briar

Briar is the messenger built for internet blackouts: peer-to-peer over Tor, with message sync over Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi when the network disappears entirely. We admire it, and this page is not a takedown. The honest split is simple — Briar for blackouts; Sendant for everything short of one.

Short answer: if you're preparing for internet blackouts, or you need messaging over Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi mesh, use Briar — nothing else honestly serves that. For everyday private messaging with people who won't install anything, or who use iPhones, choose Sendant. Many people should carry both.

Last updated July 2, 2026. Living page — corrections welcome.

Side by side

Teal edge marks the stronger side of each row. Briar genuinely wins several — we mark those just as clearly as our own.

Dimension	Sendant	Briar
Sign-up requirements	None — no phone number, no email, no account. Identity is a cryptographic key held on your device.	None either — no phone number, no email, no central servers. Both projects got this right.
Internet blackouts & mesh	No — Sendant needs a network. Its honest lane is throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks, not a blackout.	Yes — Briar can sync messages over Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi during an internet blackout. This lane belongs to Briar.
Network metadata	No identifier to subpoena or leak; servers see only ciphertext content.	Peer-to-peer over Tor by default, with no central servers at all — stronger protection of network metadata.
Independent audits	Not yet audited. An independent audit is planned; known limitations are documented rather than hidden.	Audited by Cure53 in 2017. That audit is nearly a decade old, but it still puts Briar modestly ahead here.
Browser / no-install use	Yes — persistent, full-featured client at app.sendant.io. Open a link, start messaging. The only identifier-free messenger with one.	No browser client. Briar must be installed, and contacts generally must both run Briar.
iPhone	Works on iPhone right now, in the browser — no App Store needed.	No iOS app at all. Briar is primarily Android, with a desktop client in early form.
Delivery when the recipient is away	Offline mailbox holds encrypted messages until the recipient comes back — you don't both need to be online at once.	Delivery traditionally requires both peers to be reachable; the Briar Mailbox companion app improves offline delivery.
Everyday use with non-technical contacts	Built for throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks — encrypted store-and-forward mailbox delivery, with peer-to-peer and relay paths on the roadmap — and contacts join from any browser without installing anything.	Optimized for the blackout scenario; everyday delivery depends on peers (or a Briar Mailbox) being reachable, and everyone must install and run Briar.
Encryption	X3DH + Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — running the same crypto path in browser and app.	End-to-end encrypted, peer-to-peer over Tor by default, with no central servers to trust.
Price & funding	Free. Funded by optional paid tiers — no ads, no token, no data monetization.	Free. A grant-funded, volunteer-driven project with minimal marketing — worth supporting.

Fact-check us: every row above is meant to survive scrutiny, including the ones Briar wins. If a row is wrong or goes stale, tell us and we'll correct it — this is a living page.

Choose Sendant if…

Your contacts won't install anything

With Briar, both people generally need the app. Sendant's persistent browser client means the other person just opens a link — work laptop, library computer, borrowed phone.

You or your contacts use iPhones

Briar has no iOS app. Sendant works on iPhone right now, in the browser — no App Store, no waiting.

People go offline, but the internet doesn't

Sendant's offline mailbox delivers when the recipient is away, and it keeps working across throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks: messages wait in an encrypted mailbox until your contact reconnects (peer-to-peer and relay paths are on the roadmap).

Choose Briar if…

You're preparing for a blackout

Internet shutdowns, disaster zones, protests where the network goes dark — Briar syncs over Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi with no internet at all. Sendant does not serve that lane, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Network metadata is your top threat

Briar runs peer-to-peer over Tor by default, with no central servers. Sendant's servers see only ciphertext content, but Briar's Tor-based design protects network metadata more strongly.

You want the audited option

Briar received a Cure53 audit in 2017. Sendant hasn't been independently audited yet — an audit is planned, and known limitations are documented. Until then, Briar is modestly ahead on this row.

Common questions

Does Briar work on iPhone?

No. Briar has no iOS app; it is primarily an Android messenger, with a desktop client in early form. Sendant works on iPhone right now, in the browser — open app.sendant.io in Safari, no App Store needed.

Does Briar work without internet?

Yes — and that is Briar's superpower. Briar can sync messages over Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi during a full internet blackout. Sendant does not claim that lane: Sendant is built for throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks and delivers to an offline mailbox when the recipient is away, but it needs a network. If you are preparing for a true blackout, carry Briar.

Is Briar audited?

Briar received a security audit from Cure53 in 2017. Sendant has not yet been independently audited; an independent audit is planned, and known limitations are documented rather than hidden. On this row Briar is modestly ahead, with the caveat that its audit is nearly a decade old.

Can I use Briar in a browser?

No. Briar has no browser client and must be installed on every device, and contacts generally must both run Briar. Sendant is the only identifier-free messenger with a persistent, full-featured no-install browser client — open app.sendant.io and start messaging.

Carry both — start with the one that takes 30 seconds

No phone number, no email, no install. Open the web app and see it for yourself — or read the full no-phone-number comparison, including Sendant vs Signal.

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