The OpenE2EE Signal Protocol Relay and Virgil Security solve different parts of an encrypted application.
Virgil E3Kit adds client encryption and managed key services to existing messaging infrastructure. The Signal Protocol Relay combines the OpenE2EE Signal Protocol SDK path with encrypted delivery infrastructure that OpenE2EE operates.
Last verified: 2026-08-26 · Review owner: OpenE2EE market-fact review
Responsibility matrix
| Responsibility | Virgil E3Kit path | Signal Protocol Relay path |
|---|---|---|
| Client cryptography | Virgil E3Kit SDKs | OpenE2EE Signal Protocol SDK |
| Public-key services | Virgil Cloud | Signal Protocol Relay services |
| User authentication | Customer backend; customer issues Virgil JWTs | Customer identity provider or device-owned identity; Relay verifies configured proof |
| Message transport | Customer supplies | Signal Protocol Relay |
| Encrypted device mailboxes | Customer supplies | Signal Protocol Relay |
| Group fan-out | Customer messaging infrastructure | Signal Protocol Relay |
| Push wakes | Customer supplies | Signal Protocol Relay |
| Encrypted attachments | Customer stores encrypted files | Signal Protocol Relay private attachment storage |
| Lifecycle and exact usage | Customer application infrastructure | Signal Protocol Relay |
| Infrastructure operations | Customer messaging stack plus Virgil services | Customer application backend plus the Signal Protocol Relay |
Public price bands use different meters
| Registered-user band | Listed vendor price |
|---|---|
| Up to 250 registered users | Free |
| 251–5,000 registered users | $99 per month |
| 5,000–100,000 registered users | $0.019 per registered user per month |
| More than 100,000 registered users | Custom |
Virgil's page lists both “251–5K” and “5K–100K.” At exactly 5,000 registered users, the displayed result is therefore about $95 to $99 unless Virgil clarifies which band controls.
| User count | Virgil listed vendor fee | Signal Protocol Relay fee | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Free | Free | Virgil counts registered users; OpenE2EE counts monthly active accounts. |
| 250 | Free | $99 | OpenE2EE Free ends at 100 Relay MAU because Relay also supplies delivery infrastructure. |
| 1,000 | $99 | $99 | The sticker price matches, but the products include different infrastructure. |
| 5,000 | About $95–$99 | $299 | Virgil lists two bands that both include 5,000 users. |
| 25,000 | About $475 | $899 | Compare the complete application stack, not only vendor fees. |
Fairness note: Virgil counts registered users. OpenE2EE counts monthly active accounts and includes delivery capacity. Each fee excludes different customer-owned infrastructure.
Compare the complete application stack
Virgil's public offering has a larger free registered-user allowance, SDKs for multiple platforms, mature managed key services, unlimited registered devices in its public plan, and enterprise support options. OpenE2EE offers a TypeScript-first Signal Protocol SDK and a Signal Protocol Relay on one integrated path.