Cwtch

Free plan AndroidLinuxMacWindows

What Cwtch is

Cwtch is a free messaging app built around decentralized, privacy-preserving conversations. It is available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. For direct chats, it connects profiles anonymously through Tor v3 onion services; Cwtch says all communication is end-to-end encrypted and travels over those services. Both participants need to be online for a peer-to-peer conversation.

Group conversations and offline delivery work through a third-party server intended to learn as little as possible about message contents or metadata. Groups are experimental: users must enable the Experiments and Group Experiment settings, and metadata-resistant group communication remains an active research area. Conversation history does not carry over between sessions by default, although it can be enabled for a particular conversation.

Cwtch has an open protocol that others can use to build bots, services, and user interfaces. Its download page links the core library, Go bindings, and user interface as open-source projects. There is no global display-name registry, which the security handbook says makes impersonation attacks a greater risk. The team is run by the Open Privacy Research Society, which recommends updating to version 1.17.2, released October 2, 2026, to address several security issues.

Who it suits

Cwtch suits people who want encrypted peer-to-peer messaging on Android or desktop systems and are comfortable with both chat participants being online. It may also suit developers interested in an open protocol, while group conversations require enabling experimental settings.

What it does well

Free plan across Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Peer chats use Tor v3 onion services.
Communication is end-to-end encrypted by default.
Open protocol supports third-party bots, services, and interfaces.
History can be enabled for individual conversations.

What to know first

Both participants must be online for peer-to-peer chats.
Groups require enabling experimental settings.
No global display-name registry increases impersonation risk.

Limits

The free plan has no usage limits stated. Peer-to-peer chats require both people to be online, and group conversations require experimental settings; history is not preserved between sessions by default.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Cwtch	No paid plans or usage limits stated on the opened pages	Free

As cwtch.im lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit https://cwtch.im/.
Choose a download for Android, Linux, macOS, or Windows.
Install the app on your device.
For group conversations, enable the Experiments and Group Experiment settings.
Update to version 1.17.2, which the project recommends.

Verdict

Choose Cwtch for free encrypted peer-to-peer conversations over Tor v3, especially if an open protocol matters. Look elsewhere if you need peer chats to work while one person is offline or want group messaging outside experimental settings.

Questions

Is Cwtch free?

Yes. Its listed plan is free, with no paid plans stated.

Which platforms does Cwtch support?

It is available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

How are direct conversations protected?

Cwtch says all communication is end-to-end encrypted over Tor v3 onion services. Both people must be online for a peer-to-peer chat.

Does Cwtch support group conversations?

Yes, through a third-party server. Users must enable Experiments and Group Experiment settings, and the project describes metadata-resistant group communication as an active research area.

Is Cwtch open source?

The protocol is open, and the download page links the core library, Go bindings, and user interface as open-source projects.

Who runs Cwtch?

The Cwtch team is run by the Open Privacy Research Society.

Facts from Cwtch's own pages

Encryption: Cwtch says all communication is end-to-end encrypted and takes place over Tor v3 onion services. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Experimental groups: The group feature requires users to enable the Experiments and Group Experiment settings, and the project says metadata-resistant group communication remains an active research area. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Founded: The security handbook says the Cwtch project began in 2017 as an extension protocol for Ricochet. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Groups: Group conversations and offline delivery use a third-party server, which is designed to learn as little as possible about message contents or metadata. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
History default: Conversation history is not preserved between sessions by default, but can be enabled for an individual conversation. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Online requirement: Both people must be online to chat in a peer-to-peer conversation. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Open protocol: The Cwtch protocol is open, and anyone can build bots, services, and user interfaces that integrate and interact with Cwtch. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Organization: The Cwtch team is run by the Open Privacy Research Society. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Peer chat: Cwtch uses Tor v3 onion services to establish anonymous peer-to-peer connections between profiles. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Platforms: The download page provides builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android; it says an iOS offering is not currently available. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Product: Cwtch is a decentralized, privacy-preserving, metadata-resistant messaging app. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Security limitation: Cwtch has no global display-name registry, and its security handbook says users are more vulnerable to impersonation attacks as a result. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Security update: The project recommends updating to version 1.17.2, released October 2, 2026, which fixes several security issues. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026
Source code: The download page links the Cwtch core library, Go bindings, and user interface as open-source projects. · docs.cwtch.im, 9 Oct 2026

Where Cwtch stands on Freedom251

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