Scope of comparison — Distinct categories
CryptPeer® combines several types of communication. For a relevant comparison, the following categories must be distinguished:
| Category | CryptPeer® | Competitors compared | Out of scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant messaging P2P | ✅ Integrated | Signal, Threema, Matrix, Telegram | — |
| Audio/video calls WebRTC | ✅ Integrated | Signal, Threema, Matrix, Telegram | — |
| Large file transfer (MFT) | ✅ Integrated | MOVEit, GoAnywhere, OpenTrust MFT | — |
| E2E email client | ✅ Integrated (sender + recipient) | Thunderbird, Gmail, Proton Mail, Outlook | — |
CryptPeer® integrates an end-to-end encrypted email client, on both sender and recipient side.
Comparison table — Instant messaging & WebRTC calls
| Criterion | Signal | Threema | Matrix | Telegram | CryptPeer® |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E2E Encryption | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ (optional) | ✅ |
| Self-hosting / Sovereignty | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Real self-hosting / vendor & third-party dependency | ⚠️ Vendor-operated servers (US cloud), no supported self-hosting | ⚠️ Vendor-operated servers in Switzerland, no fully sovereign dome | ⚠️ Self-hostable nodes but strong dependencies and complexity | ❌ No official self-hosted option (proprietary cloud) | ✅ 100% self-hosted server, zero cloud, zero telemetry, no callbacks to the vendor |
| 60+ browser interoperability | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| P2P architecture (no single point of failure) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Stealth mode (network undetectability) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multi-bubble sovereign autonomy | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| EviEngine (license without server/DB) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Integrated HSM (PassCypher/EviKey) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Sovereign 2FA TOTP (PassCypher HSM) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Admin without cleartext access / Super admin for deletion | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Large file transfer + signature/integrity | ⚠️ (limited) | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| Local-only mode (air-gap) | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Server-hopping / Extreme resilience | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Zero installation (web only) | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Translator tool 50+ languages (voice, file OCR, self-hosted, offline) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Legal framework & extraterritorial exposure
Beyond technical features, choosing an encrypted communication solution means understanding which legal frameworks can be used to request access to your data: the CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702 in the US, the Investigatory Powers Act in the UK, the e‑Evidence package in the EU, and national surveillance laws in other states.
| Solution | Extraterritorial legal exposure (high-level view) |
|---|---|
| Signal | Operated from the United States, potentially subject to the CLOUD Act, FISA Section 702 and other instruments allowing data requests from the provider, including when servers are physically elsewhere. |
| Threema | Hosted in Switzerland with a cloud model: data and metadata remain with a third‑party operator. Exposed to local judicial requests and international cooperation mechanisms. |
| Matrix | Federated architecture: exposure depends on each node operator (EU, US, UK and beyond). Combined risks: CLOUD Act (if US provider or subcontractor), EU e‑Evidence package, UK Investigatory Powers Act, etc. |
| Telegram | Multi‑region cloud architecture, exposed to the legal frameworks of the states where infrastructures are located (US, Russia, EU, etc.), with limited control by the end organisation. |
| CryptPeer® | Fully self‑hosted on the operator’s infrastructure: no data, metadata or encryption keys are stored with the vendor or a public cloud by default. Exposure to extraterritorial laws (CLOUD Act, FISA 702, Investigatory Powers Act, e‑Evidence, national surveillance laws, etc.) is limited to the technical dependencies you choose (for example: no public cloud = no indirect access channel via a third‑party provider). |
With CryptPeer®, the legal perimeter is not imposed by a vendor or cloud provider: it results from your own hosting and connectivity choices (On‑Prem, Nomad, Site, air‑gap, etc.).
Large file transfer — CryptPeer® vs dedicated MFT solutions
Value add: Large file transfer with integrity verification
CryptPeer® natively integrates large file transfer with timestamping and integrity/authenticity verification, a function typically offered by specialized Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions such as Progress MOVEit, GoAnywhere MFT, or OpenTrust MFT. These enterprise-oriented tools are sold on a quote basis, and their licenses can reach several thousand euros per year depending on configuration and support chosen. By contrast, this capability is included at no extra cost in CryptPeer®'s end-to-end encrypted communication suite, within the same sovereign, self-hosted environment.
Exclusive differentiator: CryptPeer® is the only system that offers the recipient the choice between encrypted download (for secure storage/re-sharing) or decrypted (for immediate use). → Learn more about secure file transfer
Public sources: Progress MOVEit (progress.com) – GoAnywhere MFT (helpsystems.com) – OpenTrust MFT / Opentrust. Observed professional pricing: quote-based, depending on company size and modules included.
| Criterion | Dedicated MFT (MOVEit, GoAnywhere, OpenTrust) | CryptPeer® |
|---|---|---|
| Large file transfer | ✅ (core function) | ✅ |
| Timestamping | ✅ | ✅ |
| Integrity/authenticity verification | ✅ | ✅ |
| Encrypted/decrypted download choice for recipient | ❌ | ✅ |
| Pricing (€/user/year) | 30,000 €+ /yr (license, quote-based) | 180–450 €/user/yr (depending on modules) |
| Deployment model | On‑Prem or SaaS, often coupled with remote vendor support/maintenance | 100% self‑hosted server, no external agents, no vendor account on your infrastructure |
| Sovereign self-hosted environment | Varies with chosen architecture | ✅ |
| Exposure to CLOUD Act / e‑Evidence / extraterritorial laws | Vendors and/or clouds subject to US/EU/UK frameworks and international cooperation | No data or metadata with the vendor; exposure limited to the operator’s hosting choices |
| Integrated instant messaging + E2E calls suite | ❌ | ✅ |
Typical scenario — 100 users / 3 years:
A classic stack with a dedicated MFT solution plus a separate secure messaging layer often exceeds a total project cost of €100,000 (licenses, maintenance, integration).
CryptPeer® On‑Prem (Sovereign Total pack, 100 users, 3 years): ≈ €37,500 for unified messaging, calls, MFT, encrypted email and access governance.
This represents an estimated TCO gain of ≈ −62% and a sovereign ROI of ≈ +170%, according to the methodology detailed in the glossary.
Dedicated MFT solutions remain relevant when the sole objective is to optimise a specific file transfer workflow within a highly centralised IT landscape. Once your priority becomes a full sovereign communication dome (messaging, calls, MFT, email, governance) with no dependency on a vendor or cloud, the key question becomes: should you still separate MFT, messaging and access control — or unify them inside a self‑hosted CryptPeer® bubble?
Competitor summary — Instant messaging
Signal
Robust E2E encryption (Signal Protocol), open-source, free. Limitations: cloud servers (AWS), metadata collected, phone number required, no self-hosting, no stealth mode, no HSM. Vulnerable to CLOUD Act (USA).
Threema
Swiss messaging, E2E, no phone number. Limitations: mobile app only, centralized servers in Switzerland, no self-hosting, no stealth mode, no 60+ browser interoperability.
Matrix
Federated protocol, decentralized, open-source. Limitations: complex deployment, no stealth mode, no HSM, variable interoperability depending on client, no integrated signed large file transfer.
Telegram
Popular messaging, cloud-based. Limitations: E2E optional only (Secret Chats), centralized servers, unencrypted metadata, no sovereignty, no self-hosting.
Verdict
If you need sovereignty, self-hosting, universal interoperability, stealth mode, HSM, secure large file transfer, or air-gap mode — CryptPeer® is the only solution that combines all of this in a unified architecture.