Free that's actually good
Customize everything and choose how people see you in every chat, with "no one can read your messages except you" security by default.
Choose your plan
Free
$0/forever
Use a different name for each chat. Customize everything. No one can read your messages, not even Pigeon.
Per-chat identities (name + photo): Up to 3
Maximum members per chat you create: Up to 7
Message retention for chats you create: 90 days
Per-file send limit: 25MB (a high quality photo or PDF)
File retention for files you send: last 1GB (about 40-500 photos)
Privacy: We can't read your messages or files, even with a court order
Chat admin controls: Basic
Customization: Everything
Emojis: Standard
Messages & chats: Unlimited
Pro
Coming Soon$5.99/month
Everything in Free, plus unlimited per-chat identifiers, longer history, bigger groups, larger files, and even more chat admin controls.
Per-chat identities (name + photo): Unlimited
Maximum members per chat you create: Up to 50
Message retention for chats you create: Choose from 7 days up to keep all message history
Per-file send limit: 100MB (a short video)
File retention for files you send: last 3GB (about 120-1,500 photos)
Privacy: We can't read your messages or files, even with a court order
Chat admin controls: Advanced
Customization: Everything
Emojis: Standard
Messages & chats: Unlimited
Detailed pricing comparison
See how each plan compares per feature. Everyone starts on the Free plan with the option to upgrade.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging | ||
| Message retention per chat (you create) | 90 days | 7, 30, 90, 180, 365 days, or keep all |
| Messages | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Groups | ||
| Your identities (selected per-chat) | Up to 3 | Unlimited |
| Members per chat (you create) | Up to 7 | Up to 50 |
| Chat admin controls | • Create and close join links • Add and remove members • Rename chat | Free plus: • Set join limits per chat you create • Share chat history for new members |
| Chats | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Files you send (docs, photos, videos) | ||
| Per-file send limit | 25MB (a high quality photo) | 100MB (a short video) |
| File retention | Last 1GB | Last 3GB |
| File search (all chats) | Basic | Basic |
| Customization | ||
| Message gestures | Yes | Yes |
| Display themes | 24 | 24 |
| Layout options | Yes | Yes |
| Chat density | Yes | Yes |
| Message density | Yes | Yes |
| Unread indicators | 5 | 5 |
| In-chat name display | Name, Photo, or Both | Name, Photo, or Both |
| In-chat photo shape | Yes | Yes |
| Menu button order | Yes | Yes |
| Menu button labels | Yes | Yes |
| Custom date formats | Yes | Yes |
| Mute chats | Yes | Yes |
| Pin chats | Yes | Yes |
| Emojis | ||
| Emoji packs | Standard | Standard |
| Favorites | Yes | Yes |
| Quick react emoji | Yes | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Customer support | In-app | In-app |
| New feature voting | In-app | In-app |
| Privacy | ||
| End-to-end encryption | Messages and files are encrypted before they leave your device and can only be decrypted by those in your chat | Messages and files are encrypted before they leave your device and can only be decrypted by those in your chat |
| Zero-knowledge architecture | Most data is only stored locally on your device. We can't know what chats you're a member of, who you talk to, and what you say | Most data is only stored locally on your device. We can't know what chats you're a member of, who you talk to, and what you say |
| Security | ||
| App unlock options | • With device • On app open • App to foreground | • With device • On app open • App to foreground |
| Delete individual messages | Yes (deletes everywhere) | Yes (deletes everywhere) |
| Delete all your messages from a chat | Yes (deletes everywhere) | Yes (deletes everywhere) |
| Leave a chat | Yes | Yes |
| Sign out | Yes | Yes |
| Delete account | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | ||
| English | Yes | Yes |
What's always free on every plan
Other apps give you a stripped-down Free plan hoping you'll get frustrated enough to pay. Pigeon's Free plan has full customization, full search, real admin controls, and encryption that never turns off.
Pro exists for people who use Pigeon across many contexts — more identities, bigger groups, advanced admin tools, and more storage. If you're using Pigeon for a single group or a handful of conversations, free does everything you need, seriously.
The Free plan isn't a demo. It's the product.
Pro is for the group organizer
If you create the chats, set the rules, and invite everyone in — Pro was built for you.
Unlimited identities
Show up differently in every chat. Different name, different photo — without juggling accounts.
Advanced chat admin
Set per-chat member limits on new join links and share chat history with people who join late.
Custom retention
Set message history per chat from 7 days to keep all message history. You decide what stays.
More files & storage
Send files up to 100MB with a total up to 9GB of file history within 30 days. Securely send files to anyone.
Add people without doing math
On Slack, adding one client costs a seat. On Pigeon, adding people costs nothing extra.
$0
Cost per member to join your group
50
Max members per group on Pro
0
Seats charged for read-only members
Free
What your group members pay to join
Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers to the obvious questions.
Is the Free plan actually unlimited messaging?
Yes. Unlimited messages, unlimited chats. The limits on the Free plan are group size (for chats you create), identities (how you're seen in each chat), and file size (for files you send, not receive). Messaging itself has no cap.
Do group members need to pay?
No. Anyone can join a Pigeon group for free. They get the full Free plan by default: customization, search, admin controls, encryption. Pro is for the group organizer or power user, not for everyone in the group.
How do I add people who don't have Pigeon?
You can invite anyone by creating a new chat or a new 'join link' for an existing chat. They can join through the iOS app or through their browser (web app). An Android app will roll out next.
If I upgrade, does everyone in my chats need to as well?
No. Each person's plan is their own. Your upgrade covers your ability to create chats that allow more members, create unlimited per-chat identities (name and photo combinations), and send larger files like documents, photos, and videos across any of your chats. Anyone on the Free plan can still receive files you send, they just can't send larger ones until they upgrade.
Is the Free plan actually usable or is it a trap?
Pigeon is genuinely usable without ever paying. Discord's free per-file limit is 8MB, ours is 25MB. A file from Pigeon arrives at full quality versus a compressed version from WhatsApp. If your chats are mostly text, emojis, and the occasional photos or documents, Free works great indefinitely.
Are any settings locked behind a paywall?
Everyone gets all customization options. Every display setting, layout option, and privacy feature is free. Everything that affects how the app works or functions is free. Advanced admin controls, higher chat member limits, and increased file size limits are available on a paid plan.
Is there a team or business plan?
Not yet. The Pro plan covers most group and team use cases today. If you need multi-seat management, shared contact lists, or audit capabilities, start a chat with us using Pigeon (Settings > Help & Feedback).
What's the difference between 90 day message retention and custom retention?
On the Free plan, the retention schedule (auto-delete after a certain number of days) for all messages within that chat is set to 90 days. On Pro, you choose the retention schedule for varying time frame from 7 days up to keeping all chat message history. You can set different message retention for each chat you create.
Why is file retention set per gigabyte?
The size of all files you send using Pigeon are on a rolling retention based on the total size sent. On the Free plan, that's 1GB. On the Pro plan, that's 3GB. After you've sent that amount, the oldest files you've sent are automatically and permanently deleted from Pigeon on your device, those who you sent the files to, and our encrypted server backups. Pigeon is designed to help you send files securely. You choose what to do after they're sent.
Is encryption the same on the Free and Pro plans?
Identical. End-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge architecture are always on, on every plan. Messages and files are encrypted before they leave your device and can only be decrypted by those in your chat. Most data is only stored locally on your device. We can't know what chats you're a member of, who you talk to, and what you say. We don't upsell privacy.
Get early access
We're opening to teams in waitlist order. Drop your email and we'll reach out when your spot is ready.
We'll send one email when the Pigeon app is ready.
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