Olvid
French messenger with no server-side directory at all - no phone number, no account, no central list of who uses it
Quick Overview
| Company | Olvid SAS |
|---|---|
| Category | Social Media |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Founded | 2019 |
| EU Presence | Yes - France (EU) |
| Data Location | France; servers hold no user directory |
| Open Source | Yes (client applications) |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Enterprise on-premise available |
| Main Features | No phone number or account required, no server-side directory, end-to-end encryption, ANSSI CSPN certification, secure calls, enterprise management, open-source clients |
| Pricing | Free for individuals / enterprise plans priced per user |
| Best For | Government, defence and anyone who needs metadata protection, not just message encryption |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal, Snapchat, Telegram |
Detailed Review
Most encrypted messengers protect the content of your messages but still know who you are and who you talk to. Olvid removes that: its servers hold no directory of users at all. There is no phone number, no username lookup, no account — contacts are established by exchanging cryptographic identities directly.
That design is why it received CSPN certification from ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency, and why the French government adopted it for ministerial communication.
No Directory Means No Metadata
If the server does not know who its users are, it cannot reveal the social graph — who talks to whom, how often, at what times. That metadata is frequently more revealing than message content, and it is what most encrypted messengers still leak by design.
Contacts are added by exchanging identities in person via QR code, or through a mutual contact, or via a link. It is more friction than typing a phone number, and that friction is the security property.
Government Certification
ANSSI's CSPN certification involves an independent security evaluation, and the French government's adoption of Olvid for ministerial communication is a substantive endorsement — governments do not select messengers casually.
For European organisations, an ANSSI-certified French product is considerably easier to justify in a security review than an American one.
Enterprise Deployment
Olvid offers enterprise management with directory integration and on-premise deployment for organisations that need administrative control while retaining the underlying privacy architecture.
Limitations to Consider
The absence of a directory is a genuine usability cost: adding contacts requires deliberate exchange rather than a lookup, so Olvid will never spread virally through a social circle the way Snapchat or WhatsApp do. The user base is small, concentrated in France and in professional contexts. Features are deliberately minimal — no stories, no channels, no large public groups.
Who Should Use Olvid
Government, defence, journalism, legal and any context where who you communicate with is as sensitive as what you say, plus individuals who want the strongest available metadata protection.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- No server-side directory: metadata cannot leak
- No phone number or account required
- ANSSI CSPN certified
- Used by the French government
- Open-source client applications
Cons
- Adding contacts requires deliberate exchange
- Small user base outside France
- Deliberately minimal feature set
Alternatives to Olvid
Other European social media worth comparing before you decide:
Threema
Switzerland · Encrypted messaging that works without a phone number
Element
United Kingdom · Matrix-based messaging you can host yourself
Wire
Switzerland / Germany · End-to-end encrypted messaging, calls and file sharing
SimpleX Chat
United Kingdom · Messaging with no user identifiers of any kind
See all European social media or compare them directly against WhatsApp on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Signal encrypts messages but registers users by phone number, so its servers know who exists. Olvid holds no user directory at all, so the social graph cannot be revealed even under legal compulsion. That is a stronger property than message encryption alone.
By exchanging cryptographic identities — in person via QR code, through a mutual contact, or via a link. It is deliberately more friction than a lookup, and that friction is the security property.
Yes, it was adopted for ministerial communication and holds CSPN certification from ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency, which involves independent security evaluation.
Yes for individuals. Enterprise plans with directory integration and on-premise deployment are priced per user.