Threema review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Threema suits readers who want encrypted messaging on their own terms, with a free plan that covers unlimited messages. The paid app is a single purchase rather than a renewal, entry price of CHF 3 keeps the paid tier modest, the apps are open source, and support runs on email, help centre and community.
Key facts
- Best for
- Free encrypted messaging, with the extra private app bought as a single payment.
- Price from
- CHF 3 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- Unlimited messages, free updates for all platforms, max. 200 users; private app is a one-time 6.00 purchase (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Android, iOS, Windows, Macos, Linux, Web (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Logging policy
- Metadata restraint: messages deleted from servers immediately after delivery, connection information not logged, group memberships kept only on devices (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- CH (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Threema AG (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Switzerland (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2012 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free, Budget
- Official website
- threema.ch
Secure email
- Price from
- CHF 3 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free plan limits
- Unlimited messages, free updates for all platforms, max. 200 users; private app is a one-time 6.00 purchase (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- End-to-end encryption
- All messages, voice and video calls including group calls, and shared files, encrypted end to end between the participants; Threema itself cannot read the content (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Jurisdiction
- CH (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Open source
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Threema AG (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Switzerland (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2012 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Free, Budget
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- End to end encryption covers messages, voice and video calls, group calls and shared files, and Threema itself cannot read the content.
- Metadata restraint: messages come off the servers as soon as they are delivered, connection information is not logged, and group memberships stay on the devices.
- A free plan with unlimited messages and free updates on all platforms, so everyday chat costs nothing to keep running.
- Open source clients, which readers who read the code before they trust a messenger can check for themselves.
- A private app at CHF 3 undercuts EasyOptOuts at $19.99 for anyone buying a full messenger.
Cons
- The free plan's cap on users means a larger group has to move elsewhere, even though the message allowance stays unlimited.
- Support runs on email, help centre and community only, with no live chat or phone line in the list.
- Against Apple Hide My Email at $0.99, Threema's CHF 3 buys a whole messenger, so the price reads high next to a single purpose tool.
Who it suits
- Readers who want voice and video calls inside the same encrypted app as their messages.
- People who want a free tier for everyday chat and will pay only for the extra private app.
- Teams that want a named company, open source clients and metadata restraint to point to.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who only want a relayed email address: Apple Hide My Email lists $0.99.
- Readers chasing the highest-priced option here, since EasyOptOuts lists $19.99.
- Readers who need live chat or a phone line, because support runs on email, help centre and community.
Pricing
Threema's paid plan, the private app, starts at CHF 3, and a free plan runs alongside it, so everyday messaging costs nothing to begin. The private app entry sits below Apple Hide My Email at $0.99 and well below EasyOptOuts at $19.99. It is a single payment rather than a subscription, so there is no renewal step to weigh.
Privacy and jurisdiction
Everything crosses the network encrypted end to end between the participants: messages, voice and video calls, group calls and shared files, and Threema itself cannot read the content. Metadata is held back too, with messages deleted from servers immediately after delivery, connection information not logged, and group memberships kept only on devices. The service sits under CH jurisdiction, so the rules over it are the ones of that country rather than the reader's own.
What it does well
The free plan's limits are generous for personal use: unlimited messages, free updates on all platforms, and a ceiling only on how many users an account may serve. Apps run on android, ios and windows, so mobile, desktop and web all have a client under the same account. The pressure point is the user ceiling rather than the message allowance, which is what larger teams notice first.
Free plan and trial
A free plan is available, with unlimited messages and free updates for all platforms, so nothing is spent to stay in touch. The boundary sits on seats rather than on chatting, since the plan allows a set number of users per account. The free plan is the ongoing baseline rather than a countdown trial, and the private app is sold outside it as a single purchase.
Who runs it
Threema is run by Threema AG, with its headquarters in Switzerland, and the company has been building the app since 2012. Support runs on email, help centre and community, so a help centre and a community sit alongside direct email. A named legal entity, a listed home country and a published support roster give readers something concrete to hold the service to.
How Threema compares
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9.2 vs 9.0
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9.2 vs 9.4
Where Threema is available
- Available
- Everywhere except Belarus, Cuba, India, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Threema cost to get going?+
Threema has a free plan with unlimited messages and free updates on all platforms, so a reader can start without paying. The paid plan, the private app, starts at CHF 3 and is a single payment rather than a subscription, so there is no renewal figure to budget for later.
Can Threema read my messages?+
Messages, voice and video calls, group calls and shared files are all encrypted end to end between the participants, and Threema itself cannot read the content. Group memberships are kept only on the devices, so the company holds no readable copy of a conversation. Calls are covered by the same arrangement as typing.
Who runs Threema and which laws apply?+
The service is run by Threema AG, headquartered in Switzerland, and it falls under CH jurisdiction. The company was founded in 2012, so it has been building the app for years rather than months. For readers who care who is accountable, there is a named entity behind the service.
Is there a free plan, and what does it leave out?+
Yes, a free plan is available with unlimited messages and free updates for all platforms, capped only by how many users an account can serve. The private app sits outside the free plan as a single purchase starting at CHF 3. So the free tier covers daily messaging and the paid step buys the extra app.
Which devices can I run Threema on?+
Threema runs on android, ios and windows, so mobile, desktop and web clients all work from the same account. Updates are free on every platform in the free plan, which keeps older machines current. The limit in the free plan sits on users per account rather than on how many screens are installed.
How do I get help from Threema?+
Support runs on email, help centre and community, which covers a help centre, direct email and a community. Live chat and a phone line are not part of that list, so anything unusual travels through documentation or the community channel. With open source clients, the community route is the practical fallback.
How does Threema compare on price?+
Entry price is CHF 3 for the private app, against $0.99 for Apple Hide My Email, $0.99 for Apple Inc. and $19.99 for EasyOptOuts. On the site, Threema ranks 28 of 131 brands on entry price, and the site median is €6.84.
Who is Threema for?+
Threema suits readers who want voice and video calls in the same encrypted app as their messages, plus a free tier for everyday chat. It also suits people who want open source clients and metadata restraint. Readers who only want a relayed email address should start with Apple Hide My Email at $0.99.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threema checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Threema was founded in December 2012 by Manuel Kasper.”
- threema.ch/en/products/private checked September 26, 2026
Backs: End-to-end encryption
“Every message, call, and shared file is protected by proven open-source encryption technology”
- threema.com/en/download/threema-private checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Platforms
“Mobile App ... iPHONE / iPAD ... ANDROID ... Desktop App 2.0 (Beta) ... MAC ... WINDOWS ... LINUX ... Web Client”
- threema.com/en/impressum checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“Threema AG Churerstrasse 82 8808 Pfäffikon SZ Switzerland”
- threema.com/en/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free plan, Free plan limits, Pricing model, Price from
“Unlimited number of messages / Free updates for all platforms - Private”
- threema.com/en/products/private checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Jurisdiction
“Jurisdiction: Switzerland”
- threema.com/en/why-threema/open-source checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Open source, Support channels
“the Threema apps are open source ... subject to the GNU Affero General Public License version 3”
- threema.com/en/why-threema/privacy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Logging policy
“messages are deleted from our servers immediately after delivery, connection information is not logged, and group memberships remain solely on your devices”
Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
Threema
Free encrypted messaging, with the extra private app bought as a single payment.