Sendant vs SimpleX

SimpleX Chat has no user identifiers at the protocol level — arguably the strongest identifier-minimization design in messaging — and it has been audited twice by Trail of Bits. It also has no browser client: using it means installing an app. That install requirement decides which one fits you.

Short answer: choose SimpleX if you want maximum protocol-level metadata minimization with audited maturity and installing an app is fine. Choose Sendant when no-install browser access matters — a work laptop, a library computer, an iPhone without another app — or when your contacts won't install another messenger.

Last updated July 6, 2026 — Trail of Bits audit scope clarified (2022 implementation, 2024 protocol-design review). 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	SimpleX
Sign-up requirements	None — no phone number, no email, no account. Identity is a cryptographic key generated on your device.	None — no phone number, no email, no account. SimpleX goes further: there are no user identifiers at the protocol level at all.
Metadata & identifiers	Identifier-free: the service never learns a phone number or email, and servers see only ciphertext content.	No user identifiers at the protocol level — messages move through per-connection message queues. Arguably the strongest identifier-minimization design in messaging.
Browser / no-install use	Yes — a persistent, full-featured client at app.sendant.io. Sendant is the only identifier-free messenger with a persistent, full-featured no-install browser client.	No browser client. There is no way to use SimpleX without installing software.
Native apps	Android app. No native iOS app yet — Sendant works on iPhone right now, in the browser.	Native apps for iOS, Android, and desktop.
Independent audits	Not yet audited. An independent audit is planned; known limitations are documented rather than hidden.	Audited by Trail of Bits: cryptography and networking implementation in 2022, protocol-design review in 2024.
Encryption	X3DH + Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — compiled to WASM so the browser runs the same crypto path as the native app.	End-to-end encryption with double-ratchet key rotation, reviewed as part of its independent audits.
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.	Messages travel through SimpleX relay servers; delivery generally needs a working connection to them.
Everyday experience	Young product with a smaller feature surface — but nothing to install, and any device with a browser is a client.	Mature apps, though users commonly report Android battery and notification issues, a harder multi-device story, and onboarding friction.
Price & funding	Free. Funded by optional paid tiers — no ads, no token, no data monetization.	Free to use. Development is funded by venture investment plus donations and crowdfunding.

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…

Nobody's installing anything

Work laptop, library or school computer, or an iPhone where another app isn't happening. Sendant runs in the browser you already have — SimpleX has no browser client at all.

Your contacts won't switch apps

The hardest part of private messaging is the other person. With Sendant they open a link in their browser — no download, no account, no phone number.

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 SimpleX if…

You want maximum metadata minimization

SimpleX has no user identifiers at the protocol level and routes messages through per-connection queues — arguably the strongest identifier-minimization design in messaging. Sendant claims only that its servers see ciphertext content, not that it matches this.

You want audited maturity

Trail of Bits assessed SimpleX's cryptography and networking implementation in 2022 and reviewed its protocol design in 2024. Sendant hasn't been independently audited yet; an audit is planned.

Installing native apps is fine

SimpleX ships native iOS, Android, and desktop apps. If everyone you talk to is happy to install one, its main cost is already paid.

Common questions

Does SimpleX have a web or browser version?

No. SimpleX ships native apps for iOS, Android, and desktop, but there is no browser client — there is no way to use SimpleX without installing software. Sendant runs in the browser with no install, which also means it works on an iPhone right now, in the browser.

Is SimpleX audited?

Yes. Trail of Bits assessed SimpleX's cryptography and networking implementation in 2022 and reviewed its protocol design in 2024. Sendant has not yet been independently audited; an audit is planned, and known limitations are documented rather than hidden.

Which is more private, Sendant or SimpleX?

On protocol-level metadata, SimpleX is stronger: it has no user identifiers at the protocol level and routes messages through per-connection queues — arguably the strongest identifier-minimization design in messaging. Sendant is also identifier-free — no phone number, email, or account, and servers see only ciphertext content — and it is the only identifier-free messenger with a persistent, full-featured no-install browser client. If maximum metadata minimization is your top requirement, pick SimpleX; if no-install access is, pick Sendant.

Is Sendant a fork of SimpleX?

No. Sendant is an independent implementation with a different design. It uses X3DH and the Double Ratchet — the same cryptographic primitives Signal uses — and was built from the start around a no-install browser client and delivery on throttled, restricted, or intermittent networks.

Try the difference in 30 seconds

No phone number, no email, no install. Open the web app and see it for yourself — browse the full comparison hub, or see how Sendant compares to Signal.

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