Cwtch
What it is
Cwtch is a free messaging app for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows, built around decentralized, privacy-preserving communication. For direct conversations, profiles connect anonymously through Tor v3 onion services, and Cwtch says communications are end-to-end encrypted. Both people need to be online at the same time for peer-to-peer chat. Conversation history is not saved between sessions by default, though it can be enabled for a particular conversation.
Groups and offline delivery rely on a third-party server intended to learn as little as possible about message content and metadata. Group communication is experimental: users must enable the Experiments and Group Experiment settings, and metadata-resistant groups remain an active research area. Cwtch has no global display-name registry, which its security handbook says increases impersonation risk. The protocol is open for others to build compatible bots, services, and interfaces; the download page links open-source versions of the core library, Go bindings, and interface. The team recommends updating to version 1.17.2, released October 2, 2026, to address several security issues.
For and against
For
- Free on Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows
- End-to-end encrypted communications over Tor v3
- Open protocol supports integrations
- Conversation history can be enabled per conversation
Against
- Both people must be online for direct chats
- Group communication requires experimental settings
- No display-name registry increases impersonation risk
The verdict
Cwtch offers direct encrypted messaging and an open protocol across several platforms. Its online requirement for peer chats and experimental group feature are important tradeoffs to consider.
Who it suits
Cwtch suits people seeking encrypted peer-to-peer messaging across desktop and Android. Group chat users should be comfortable enabling experimental settings and relying on a third-party server.
Plans and prices
Cwtch
No paid plans or usage limits stated on the opened pages
Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.cwtch.im
On the record
- Encryption
- Cwtch says all communication is end-to-end encrypted and takes place over Tor v3 onion services.docs.cwtch.im · read 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 · read 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 · read 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 · read 9 Oct 2026
- Online requirement
- Both people must be online to chat in a peer-to-peer conversation.docs.cwtch.im · read 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 · read 9 Oct 2026
- Organization
- The Cwtch team is run by the Open Privacy Research Society.docs.cwtch.im · read 9 Oct 2026
- Peer chat
- Cwtch uses Tor v3 onion services to establish anonymous peer-to-peer connections between profiles.docs.cwtch.im · read 9 Oct 2026
- Product
- Cwtch is a decentralized, privacy-preserving, metadata-resistant messaging app.docs.cwtch.im · read 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 · read 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 · read 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 · read 9 Oct 2026
