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Where Etoki stands
The Etoki column is written from the source code in this repository. The other columns summarize each project's own public documentation as of mid-2026 — they evolve, so treat them as orientation.
| Aspect | Etoki | Signal | SimpleX | Session | Threema |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account identifier | None — a random key pair; optional @username is directory opt-in | Phone number (usernames hide it) | None — pairwise queue addresses | None — random Account ID | Random 8-char ID |
| Metadata protection | 2-hop onion routing; no single relay links sender to recipient | Sealed sender; server trusted for delivery metadata | No user identifiers; single-hop to queue server | Onion routing over Oxen service nodes | Minimal metadata; single-server delivery |
| Post-quantum crypto | X25519 + ML-KEM-768 hybrid in the handshake and inside every ratchet step | PQXDH hybrid handshake; ratchet rekey classical | Hybrid PQ double ratchet | No | No |
| Group encryption | MLS (RFC 9420), admin-gated, out-of-band epoch verification | Private group system (server holds ciphertext state) | Pairwise fan-out | Pairwise fan-out (closed groups) | Pairwise fan-out |
| Self-hosting | Entire stack: router, file, directory, push and gateway — one static binary | Server source published; no supported self-host federation | Yes — SMP/XFTP servers | No — fixed service-node network | OnPrem appliance (commercial) |
| Multi-device | Linked devices over E2EE sync; signed attach/detach, keys never copied | Yes — linked devices | No — one profile per installation | Yes — config sync via swarm | Yes — multi-device (beta rollout) |
| Push notifications | None required — persistent battery-aware connection; optional content-free push relay | FCM/APNs | Optional FCM; periodic polling otherwise | FCM/APNs (content-free) | FCM/APNs; Threema Push option |
| Censorship resistance | TLS camouflage gateway with decoy page, WebSocket for CDNs, SOCKS5/Tor with per-session circuits | Domain fronting deprecated; TLS proxy for censored regions | Tor via Orbot; server rotation | Onion routing by design; lokinet | No |
Feature sets change; last reviewed against the projects' public docs in July 2026. The Etoki column is verifiable — every claim maps to code in the open repository.
Don't take a table's word for it
The protocol stack, the threat model and the exact observability of a relay are all documented — and the whole deployment fits on two VPSes you control.