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WhatsApp vs SimpleX Chat: catalog facts
WhatsApp	SimpleX Chat
Free Free to use for personal messaging and calls.	Free Free and open source under the AGPL 3.0. The company is funded by investment and…
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Web	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Command line
End-to-end encrypted messages and calls Available on phones, desktop and the web	No user identifier of any kind, so conversations cannot be correlated by account Double ratchet encryption with an additional layer for the relay servers
Proprietary and tied to a phone number account Relies on a central service run by the developer	Connecting means exchanging a link or QR code in person or elsewhere No contact list means a lost device is a lost set of conversations unless backed up
Downloadable app, Web application	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: AGPL-3.0
Account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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