What are the best ways to send secure, encrypted messages?

5

Options
Considered

10

User
Recs.

Jan 26, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

5 Options Considered

5 Options Considered	Price	Open Source	Supported platforms
-- Signal	-	Yes	–
-- GPG encrypted text file	-	–	GNU/Linux GNU/Hurd FreeBSD OpenBSD NetBSD Windows OSX
-- PrivMX WebMail	-	–	–
-- Use encryption tools for every message type	-	–	–
-- OneShar.es	-	–	–

Signal

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Top Pro

Supports sharing of various different media types

Signal supports: emoji, pictures, videos, audio, contacts, any location and GIF. See More

Top Con

Single device

You cannot send and receive messages from multiple devices. See More

Top Pro

Provides security and privacy

Signal uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for every message every time. See More

Top Con

Uses message mirroring

You phone must be on and connected to the internet for Signal Desktop to work. See More

Top Pro

You can easily view all media exchanged

You can easily view all media shared in the chat without scrolling back to when it was shared. See More

Top Pro

SMS/MMS support

Signal can also be your default SMS/MMS text messenger. Encryption is not possible when sending SMS to your contacts. See More

Top Pro

Recommended by Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden uses this messenger and recommends it to everony who is concerned about his privacy. See More

Top Pro

Supports encrypted group chats

Top Pro

Free and open source

Signal is Free and Open Source, enabling anyone to verify its security by auditing the code. TextSecure is the only private messenger that uses open source peer-reviewed cryptographic protocols to keep your messages safe. See More

Top Pro

Message mirroring on Signal Desktop

Signal Desktop is a Chrome extension that allows you to mirror messages from your phone, including replying. See More

Specs

Open Source:Yes

GPG encrypted text file

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Free to use and modify

GPG does not use patented algorithms, so this service is free to use and modify without restrictions. See More

Top Con

Requires knowledge of the command line

GnuPG requires technical knowledge, but their FAQ is incredibly helpful for people who want to get started. See More

Top Pro

Offers an installation package for Windows and OS X

"Gpg4win" is the installation package for Windows, and "GPGTools" is the package for Mac. The purpose of these packages is to equip users with everything needed in order to effectively keep information private. See More

Top Pro

Uses symmetric key encryption to ensure that emails are secure

Symmetric key encryption not only protects emails from unauthorized access, but it ensures that the sender and receiver are legitimate. See More

Top Pro

No dependencies

GnuPG does not depend on a reading program in order to be functional. See More

Top Pro

Can be used with any system that understands text files

Text files are ubiquitous. They can be read across any modern platform and many obsolete one's. See More

Top Pro

Outstanding compatibility

GPG is standard on most operating systems, and is compatible with "too many to list". A GPG API is currently being developed for further integration. See More

Specs

Supported platforms:GNU/Linux GNU/Hurd FreeBSD OpenBSD NetBSD Windows OSX

Encryption methods:IDEA (from 1.4.13/2.0.20) 3DES CAST5 Blowfish AES-128 AES-192 AES-256 Twofish Camellia-128 Camellia-192 Camellia-256 (from 1.4.10/2.0.12)

Browser integration:Firefox

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PrivMX WebMail

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Use encryption tools for every message type

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Encipher.it

Encipher.it is another tool to encrypt and decrypt texts. You can encrypt and decrypt messages the same way Infoencrypt.com. See More

Top Pro

Infoencrypt.com

Infoencrypt.com is a very simple webtool to encrypt and decrypt messages. You can encrypt by entering the text and a new password or decrypt by entering the encrypted text and your password. See More

OneShar.es

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