Briar

Peer-to-peer encrypted messenger that works over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, even without internet.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Briar

Briar was designed for activists, journalists and anyone who might face surveillance or network shutdowns. There are no central servers: messages go directly between devices over the Tor network when online, or over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when people are nearby and the internet is down. Everything is end-to-end encrypted and stored only on your device, and you add contacts by meeting in person or through a trusted introduction. Besides private chats it offers private groups, forums and blogs that sync between contacts. Briar is free and open source, developed by a small non-profit team. It is mainly an Android app, available from Google Play, F-Droid or as a direct download. The project announced in 2026 that it is now in maintenance mode, so expect fixes rather than new features. Its design also means both people need to be online at the same time for delivery, and battery use is higher than conventional messengers.

Best for: Activists and journalists who need messaging that works during internet shutdowns.

What works

Works offline over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
No servers; traffic goes over Tor when online
Free and open source

Why people leave

Now in maintenance mode, with few new features
Mainly Android only
Contacts must be online at the same time for delivery

Top Briar alternatives

See all 5

1
bitchat
A newer Bluetooth mesh messenger for iPhone and Android that also needs no internet.
66.5
2
Cwtch
Tor-based, metadata-resistant messaging with desktop as well as Android apps.
62.6
3
Session
Onion-routed and anonymous, but with asynchronous delivery and iPhone support.
59.6
4
SimpleX Chat
No user identifiers, works across all major platforms, and is actively developed.
57.2
5
Signal
Far easier everyday encrypted messaging when internet access isn't the problem.
55.3

Why people left Briar

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Briar: common questions

Is Briar free?

Yes, Briar is free to use.

Is Briar open source?

Yes.

What platforms does Briar run on?

Briar is available for Android.

What are the best alternatives to Briar?

The highest-ranked Briar alternatives right now are bitchat, Cwtch and Session. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Briar alternatives

Briar facts

4 of 4 verified

Project status: Maintenance mode (July 2026); Checked Oct 25, 2026briarproject.org(opens source in a new tab); “Latest Release: Briar 1.5.22 (October 13, 2026) Latest News July 9, 2026 Briar is in maintenance mode”
Connections: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor; Checked Oct 25, 2026briarproject.org(opens source in a new tab); “Connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor, with privacy built-in.”
Platforms: Android (Google Play, F-Droid); Checked Oct 25, 2026briarproject.org(opens source in a new tab); “Briar for Android is available for download from Google Play and F-Droid.”
Open source: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026briarproject.org(opens source in a new tab); “All our software is open source - you can browse the source code or build the app from source .”