{"slug": "threema", "name": "Threema", "category": "communication", "category_name": "Email and chat", "description": "", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 4.493, "rising": -1.64, "first": "2025-11-24", "latest": "2026-05-05", "why": "there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 0, "compare": 1, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "threema.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://threema.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Threema"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 768414417, "item_id": 48025901, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48025901", "by": "dmos62", "date": "2026-05-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Threema seem to be known for good UX and viability as everyday messengers.", "excerpt": "A few people gave some input on this here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47945392 Signal and Threema seem to be known for good UX and viability as everyday messengers. There was this table: https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8"}, {"id": 767133201, "item_id": 47945825, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47945825", "by": "Markoff", "date": "2026-04-29", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "personally I like Element (Matrix) and Threema", "excerpt": "the ones most of your contacts use, what's the point finding perfect messenger if nobody you know use it and you must move people over there and anyway keep installed other app for most of the contacts? here you have chart comparison https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html and alternative https://www.securemessagingapps.com personally I like Element (Matrix) and Threema", "context": "", "use_case": "Encrypted messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Wire to Replace Signal as Standard in the Bundestag"}, {"id": 762711921, "item_id": 47669495, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47669495", "by": "codethief", "date": "2026-04-06", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Threema doesn't store your contact list server-side, unless you explicitly opt in.", "excerpt": "I never said I was considering any.[0] I'm strictly interested in what Signal is doing to keep (or even improve) its security guarantees. On that note, Signal wouldn't even depend on Intel SGX for security nearly as much if Signal PINs weren't user-chosen but instead auto-generated with enough entropy. Yes, contact discovery through phone numbers would still be challenging, but secure value recovery[1] just requires ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "A Cryptography Engineer's Perspective on Quantum Computing Timelines"}, {"id": 748578160, "item_id": 46786135, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46786135", "by": "tucnak", "date": "2026-01-27", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time", "excerpt": "I wonder whether the protesters could opt for offshore alternatives that don't require exposing their phone number to a company that could be compelled to reveal it by US law. For example, there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time. It is interesting on Android as you can pay anonymously[2], therefore it doesn't depend on Google Play and its services (they offer Threema Push services of their own.", "context": "", "use_case": "Encrypted messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kash Patel says FBI is investigating Signal chats of Minnesotans tracking ICE"}, {"id": 746357124, "item_id": 46647320, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46647320", "by": "qwertox", "date": "2026-01-16", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal or Threema would be great", "excerpt": "We don't want an insane experience, it's an HOA group. That's all I use WhatsApp for. Also, I despise telegram (just as much as X), because in Germany both are rotten to the core in terms of user base, worse than WhatsApp. Signal or Threema would be great, and I voted for Signal, but the majority uses WhatsApp. I used to use Telegram, but ever since Covid and the whackos that found their \"truth\" over there I say no t", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just the Browser"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["encrypted messaging"], "compared": [{"slug": "signal", "name": "Signal", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "element", "name": "Element", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48024160", "title": "Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47945192", "title": "Wire to Replace Signal as Standard in the Bundestag", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47662234", "title": "A Cryptography Engineer's Perspective on Quantum Computing Timelines", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46783254", "title": "Kash Patel says FBI is investigating Signal chats of Minnesotans tracking ICE", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46645615", "title": "Just the Browser", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46022279", "title": "Signal knows who you're talking to (2023)", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"compare": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 768414417, "item_id": 48025901, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48025901", "by": "dmos62", "date": "2026-05-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal and Threema seem to be known for good UX and viability as everyday messengers.", "excerpt": "A few people gave some input on this here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47945392 Signal and Threema seem to be known for good UX and viability as everyday messengers. There was this table: https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8"}, {"id": 767133201, "item_id": 47945825, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47945825", "by": "Markoff", "date": "2026-04-29", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "personally I like Element (Matrix) and Threema", "excerpt": "the ones most of your contacts use, what's the point finding perfect messenger if nobody you know use it and you must move people over there and anyway keep installed other app for most of the contacts? here you have chart comparison https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html and alternative https://www.securemessagingapps.com personally I like Element (Matrix) and Threema", "context": "", "use_case": "Encrypted messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Wire to Replace Signal as Standard in the Bundestag"}, {"id": 762711921, "item_id": 47669495, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47669495", "by": "codethief", "date": "2026-04-06", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Threema doesn't store your contact list server-side, unless you explicitly opt in.", "excerpt": "I never said I was considering any.[0] I'm strictly interested in what Signal is doing to keep (or even improve) its security guarantees. On that note, Signal wouldn't even depend on Intel SGX for security nearly as much if Signal PINs weren't user-chosen but instead auto-generated with enough entropy. Yes, contact discovery through phone numbers would still be challenging, but secure value recovery[1] just requires ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "A Cryptography Engineer's Perspective on Quantum Computing Timelines"}, {"id": 748578160, "item_id": 46786135, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46786135", "by": "tucnak", "date": "2026-01-27", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time", "excerpt": "I wonder whether the protesters could opt for offshore alternatives that don't require exposing their phone number to a company that could be compelled to reveal it by US law. For example, there is Threema[1], a Swiss option priced at 5 euros one-time. It is interesting on Android as you can pay anonymously[2], therefore it doesn't depend on Google Play and its services (they offer Threema Push services of their own.", "context": "", "use_case": "Encrypted messaging", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kash Patel says FBI is investigating Signal chats of Minnesotans tracking ICE"}, {"id": 746357124, "item_id": 46647320, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46647320", "by": "qwertox", "date": "2026-01-16", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Signal or Threema would be great", "excerpt": "We don't want an insane experience, it's an HOA group. That's all I use WhatsApp for. Also, I despise telegram (just as much as X), because in Germany both are rotten to the core in terms of user base, worse than WhatsApp. Signal or Threema would be great, and I voted for Signal, but the majority uses WhatsApp. I used to use Telegram, but ever since Covid and the whackos that found their \"truth\" over there I say no t", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Just the Browser"}, {"id": 736514435, "item_id": 46032152, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46032152", "by": "jeroenhd", "date": "2025-11-24", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "I'd start looking in the direction of Threema or TorChat", "excerpt": "You can see the metadata outside of the e2ee envelope in Element. Things like message IDs in replies, room information, room IDs, in some cases emoji reactions, and other data will regularly find itself as part of the plaintext message. Of course there's still a HTTPS wrapper around those components, but the point is about E2EE. Because Matrix wasn't encrypted from day 1 and because Matrix wanted to improve the gener", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Signal knows who you're talking to (2023)"}]}