Side by side
Berty vs BitChat
Both stand on encrypted messaging apps. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidiPhone
Berty focuses on private, decentralized messaging and offline reach without requiring conventional account details. Its early development status and stated security and feature limitations are important for sensitive communications.
Visit Berty
Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac
Choose BitChat if you want peer-to-peer messaging that can work nearby without internet and can also use Nostr. Look elsewhere if you need Nostr private-message compatibility with other apps or do not accept the privacy exposure from mesh announcements.
Visit BitChatThe facts
| Berty | BitChat | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone | Android, iPhone, Mac |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | berty.tech | bitchat.free |
| On encrypted messaging apps | #10 of 43 | #6 of 43 |
Berty: what it does well
- Free forever and open source
- End-to-end encryption enabled by default
- Bluetooth messaging can work offline
- No email or phone registration required
- Peer-to-peer network without cloud storage
What to know first
- IP addresses are not hidden
- Protocol has no independent audit
- No voice or video calls
- No disappearing messages or encrypted backups
BitChat: what it does well
- Bluetooth mesh messaging works without internet, across up to seven hops.
- Nostr provides internet messaging and geohash-based location channels.
- Messages can route automatically or wait in a queue.
- No account, phone number, or central server is required.
- Android supports Wi-Fi Aware on supported devices and built-in Tor.
What to know first
- Mesh announcements expose static keys and nicknames in cleartext.
- A persistent device identifier can enable tracking across time and places.
- Nostr private messages interoperate only with BitChat clients.
Alternatives to Berty Alternatives to BitChat The whole list