Sendant vs Session

Both messengers drop the phone number. Session pairs a random Session ID with a decentralized onion-routed network that hides your IP; Sendant pairs a device-held key with per-message forward secrecy and a browser client that needs no install. The tradeoffs are real, and they cut both ways.

Short answer: choose Session if onion-routed IP and network-metadata protection is your top requirement and you want native apps, including on iOS. Choose Sendant if you want per-message forward secrecy, a browser client with nothing to install, and a funded, actively developed product.

Last updated July 6, 2026 — funding status re-verified (June 2026 donation rescue). Living page — corrections welcome.

Side by side

Teal edge marks the stronger side of each row. No messenger wins every row, including ours.

Dimension	Sendant	Session
Sign-up & identifiers	None — no phone number, no email, no account. Identity is a cryptographic key held on your device; there is no public ID string.	None — no phone number or email. Identity is a randomly generated Session ID, a persistent public string you share with contacts. Both approaches are strong; call this row a tie.
Browser / no-install use	Yes — persistent, full-featured client at app.sendant.io. Open a link, start messaging. Works on iPhone right now, in the browser.	No. Session ships native apps only; there is no web or browser client.
Native apps	Android app. No native iOS app yet — iPhone users use the browser client.	Native apps for iOS, Android, and desktop.
Network metadata & IP protection	Servers see only ciphertext content, and there is no phone number or email to leak — but Sendant does not onion-route, so it does not match Session's network-level IP protection.	Messages are onion-routed through a decentralized network of community-run service nodes, so no single node sees both your IP and your destination. The stronger design against network-level observers.
Encryption & forward secrecy	X3DH + Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — with per-message forward secrecy, in the app and in the browser.	Custom Session Protocol. In moving off the Signal Protocol, Session dropped per-message perfect forward secrecy — a documented design tradeoff.
Independent audits	Not yet audited. An independent audit is planned; known limitations are documented rather than hidden.	Session's apps were audited by Quarkslab in 2021. The audit predates years of changes since, but it exists — a modest, real edge.
Bad-network behavior	Built for throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks: messages wait in an encrypted store-and-forward mailbox and deliver when your contact reconnects. Peer-to-peer and relay delivery paths are on the roadmap.	Depends on reaching the service-node network; nodes store encrypted messages for offline recipients.
Team & resourcing	Funded by optional paid tiers and actively developed.	Session laid off its entire paid team in April 2026 and now runs on a small donation-funded team after the community stepped in. Development continues, at a smaller scale.
Price, funding & tokens	Free. Funded by optional paid tiers — no ads, no token, no data monetization.	Free to use. The service-node network has historically been tied to a blockchain token, with operators staking to run nodes.

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

Choose Sendant if…

Per-message forward secrecy matters

Sendant runs X3DH + Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — so each message gets fresh keys. Session's custom protocol gave that property up.

You can't install anything

Sendant is the only identifier-free messenger with a persistent, full-featured no-install browser client. Work laptop, library computer, or an iPhone — it works right now, in the browser.

Your network is hostile

Throttled, restricted, or intermittent connectivity — messages wait as encrypted ciphertext in a store-and-forward mailbox and deliver when your contact reconnects. Peer-to-peer and relay delivery paths are on the roadmap.

Choose Session if…

Hiding your IP is the priority

Session onion-routes every message through decentralized, community-run service nodes. Against network-level observers, that is stronger than what Sendant offers today.

You want native apps everywhere

iOS, Android, and desktop apps from the App Store and beyond. Sendant's iPhone story is the browser, not a native app.

You weigh a past audit heavily

Session's apps were audited by Quarkslab in 2021. It's an older audit, but Sendant hasn't been independently audited yet — ours is planned.

Common questions

Is Session shutting down?

No. Session laid off its entire paid team in April 2026, and in June 2026 announced that community donations had secured enough resources to continue development — now with a small donation-funded team. That resourcing shift is a fair thing to weigh when choosing a messenger, but Session is not shutting down.

Does Session need a phone number?

No. Session identity is a randomly generated Session ID — no phone number or email required. Sendant also requires no phone number, email, or account; its identity is a cryptographic key held on your device rather than a persistent public ID string.

Does Session have a web or browser version?

No. Session ships native apps for iOS, Android, and desktop, but there is no web or browser client. Sendant runs in the browser with no install at app.sendant.io — including on iPhone.

Which has stronger encryption, Sendant or Session?

Sendant uses X3DH + Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — with per-message forward secrecy. Session's custom Session Protocol dropped per-message perfect forward secrecy compared to the Signal Protocol, a documented design tradeoff. To be honest in both directions: Sendant is not yet audited (an independent audit is planned and known limitations are documented), while Session's apps were audited by Quarkslab in 2021. For how Sendant compares to the reference implementation, see Sendant vs Signal.

Try the difference in 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.

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