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Cwtch vs Sideband: catalog facts
Cwtch	Sideband
Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.	Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	macOS, Linux, Android
Designed specifically to resist metadata collection, not just message reading No account, phone number or email required	Messages travel over radio links with no internet or cellular service Store-and-forward delivery, so both parties need not be online at once
Tor routing makes delivery slow and requires both parties online Small project with a limited feature set	Requires a Reticulum network, and usually radio hardware, to be useful Small project with a niche user base
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.