Showdown: Signal, Session, SimpleX, Matrix, XMPP, vs Briar

It’s a battle! Let’s compare these epic competing encrypted messengers.

Showdown: Signal, Session, SimpleX, Matrix, XMPP, vs Briar

Let’s compare Signal, Session, SimpleX, Matrix, XMPP, and Briar, so you can decide which one is right for your particular situation.

Who is the…


Most adopted by everyday people:
Signal

Most adopted on darkweb:
XMPP

Most adopted by corporations:
Matrix

Most adopted by militaries:
XMPP

Least Censored for individuals:
Session

Least Censored against platform level bans:
Briar

Most likely to confuse criminal courtrooms:
SimpleX

Best for Journalists:
Session
(due to first contact metadata & verification of identity)

Best for political revolution:
Briar

Most vulnerable to psychological phising:
SimpleX

Most vulnerable to metadata attacks:
Signal

Most vulnerable to backdoor updates:
Signal

Most device-to-device sync issues:
Matrix

Least device-to-device sync issues:
Signal

Most audited:
XMPP

Most centralized network:
Signal

Most decentralized network:
Briar

Most decentralized development:
XMPP

Most misunderstood & untapped potential:
Session

Most likely to grow:
SimpleX
(due to corporate APIs)

My personal favorites:
Session for censorship
SimpleX to hide
XMPP for strangers/friends
Signal for family
(Because good luck getting your grandma on Briar)


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