Altnine vs Other Apps: What's the Difference?
Understanding why Altnine is fundamentally different from other messaging apps.
The Traditional Approach: Centralized Storage
Most communication apps operate on a centralized model. When you send a message:
- The sender transmits the message to a central database (the app's server).
- The server stores this message.
- The server then distributes it to the receiver.
Even if these apps claim to delete messages after delivery, your data still passes through and resides on their infrastructure, often subject to their retention policies, legal requests, or potential security breaches.
The Altnine Difference: True Device-to-Device
Altnine was built with a radical philosophy: No Central Database for Chats.
We do not store your messages—not even for a second while sending. Instead, Altnine acts as a connection broker:
- Direct Connection: Altnine establishes a direct encrypted connection between your device and your contact's device using the WebRTC protocol.
- Zero Intermediaries: The message travels directly from Sender → Receiver. It never touches a database server.
- Offline Handling: If the receiver is offline, WebRTC cannot deliver the message immediately. Instead of storing the message on a server, Altnine simply sends a notification to the receiver saying "Message Waiting". The actual message remains encrypted in a queue on the sender's device until the receiver comes online.
The Ultimate Security is "No Data"
Data security is only a concern when you have data to protect. By removing the central database entirely, Altnine eliminates the biggest target for hackers and mass surveillance. If we don't have your data, we can't lose it, leak it, or be forced to hand it over.
Pros & Cons
| Feature | Other Apps | Altnine |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Trust-based (You hope they don't read/keep it) | Architecture-based (We physically can't read/keep it) |
| Data Storage | Stored on Cloud Servers | Stored ONLY on your Device |
| Encryption | Often only in transit | End-to-End + Local Device Encryption |
| Delivery | Instant (Server stores it if offline) | Direct (Both must be online for delivery) |
| Recovery | Can restore form cloud backup | No Cloud Backup (Lost if you logout/uninstall without local backup) |
Why We Do This?
1. Ultimate Privacy
We believe privacy is a fundamental right. By designing a system that cannot store data, we ensure that your private conversations remain truly private.
2. Cost Efficiency (Win-Win)
Storing petabytes of user data is expensive. By not storing your chats, we save massive infrastructure costs. You get a 100% private service, and we don't have to monetize your data to pay the bills.
A Note on Reliability
Because we rely on direct device connections, messages require both parties to have internet connectivity to be delivered. In today's world of constant connectivity, this is rarely an issue, but it is a trade-off we willingly make to guarantee that your data never sits on a server beyond your control.
If you log out or delete the app, your chats are gone forever—because we don't have them. This is not a bug; it is our most important feature.
Doing the Same, Differently.
Altnine provides the same communication service, but the difference is behind the scenes.
Instead of your words sitting in a company's database, they stay with you. We deliver the same connection, just without the surveillance.
We give you an assurance that no other app does: your data is never handed to unintended users—not even for storage or transmission.