End-to-end encrypted chat with no email and no phone number. Messages are encrypted in your browser before they reach our servers. We store ciphertext, not readable messages; the threat model explains the limits. Just pick a username.
No email · No phone number · Takes about 2 minutes
Independently benchmarked 94/100 by Legit.Show · production-readiness, not a security audit.
Illustrative product preview. Names and messages are fictional.
The messenger now works over Tor for journalists, activists, human-rights defenders, researchers, and people in politically repressive environments — including families and supporters of political prisoners — who need to reach Markero without exposing their network location.
Tor hides your network origin, not your identity. Your username, what you share and your device still matter. Tor Browser is required. If the button does not open, copy the address and paste it into Tor Browser. This is the only official onion address — ignore copies from other sites.
Read the announcement → Tor access page → Press and journalist access →yl3gb7w3yej6y2mdeqdxx6rtztgvjlxnwqrk77same5sejlqygcb63qd.onion
Official identity
This is the Markero website OpenPGP key, used for official signed statements. Compare the fingerprint with the same fingerprint in our press kit and security.txt before trusting another site that looks like Markero.
A copycat can copy a public key. The fingerprint only proves continuity if you check it through a separate, trusted channel.
744DE436A4CC54CA8849E78C2C0AE9672C7BE27E
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- xjMEalNZyhYJKwYBBAHaRw8BAQdAOO8/918HHjCMzF/BCaSrJpFX63vhf39d pp3N9dfQ8JnNBWJ1Z2FzwosEEBYKAD4FgmpTWcoECwkHCAmQLArpZyx74n4D FQgKBBYAAgECGQECmwMCHgEWIQR0TeQ2pMxUyohJ54wsCulnLHvifgAADdAB AIw4aShTyWA+QTzDgrRowP8K/+XwpByoy651uT/Ej4hIAPdmvev+DqiiyfSw ORk8h4VVzlJ7CXSqAOQlCT2jcNsNzjgEalNZyhIKKwYBBAGXVQEFAQEHQEo4 Afgqos8cn0NAzguZwRo620E35m2goRLLgMnWnoV/AwEIB8J4BBgWCgAqBYJq U1nKCZAsCulnLHvifgKbDBYhBHRN5DakzFTKiEnnjCwK6Wcse+J+AAAzZAEA i27ltmMVqvXjEEsxsZ+S/yz8/wmSo0i87B7O9RIX41UBAJZcqTKccWhvgJlj sx5vlIPNbAstG5WE1k64sWJYfVEE =2qmN -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Everything sensitive happens on your device. The server is a courier that can't open the envelopes it carries.
When you sign up, your browser generates a PGP keypair using Curve25519. Your private key is encrypted with a client-only key-wrap secret, which is itself encrypted with your password. The server stores only the encrypted private key and the encrypted key-wrap secret; neither is usable without your password. The login TOTP secret is separate and never unlocks the private key.
TOTP two-factor authentication is optional and strongly recommended. You can skip it at signup and enable it later in settings. With 2FA enabled, signing in needs your password plus a code from your authenticator app, and recovery codes are provided as a backup.
Photos, voice messages and documents up to 10 MB are encrypted before upload and decrypted only on the recipient's device. Nothing is ever stored in plaintext.
Clearnet session records store the IP address and user agent for abuse prevention and device management; they expire after 7 days, or 3 days of inactivity. Onion sessions store “tor” instead of an IP. IP addresses are also used for short-lived rate limiting and may appear in request logs for up to 14 days. We do not use them for advertising or profiling.
Most messaging apps are "encrypted in transit" — the message is protected while travelling, but readable by the company that runs the server. End-to-end encryption is different.
Messages are locked on your device with a key only you and the recipient have. The server stores ciphertext and encrypted key material; it does not hold a readable message archive.
Because we do not store plaintext messages, passwords or usable private keys, there is no readable message archive to hand over. A malicious server could capture your password at login, so zero-access is a property of what is stored at rest, not a defence against a malicious operator. The threat model explains this limit.
Most messengers tie your account to your phone number, which is linked to your identity. Markero only asks for a username, so your conversations can't be tied to your real-world identity.
How Markero compares on the things that matter for privacy.
| Markero | Signal | Telegram | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted by default | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (opt-in) |
| Requires email or phone number | No | Phone | Phone | Phone |
| Server cannot read message content at rest | Yes | Yes | Yes | Secret chats only |
| Two-factor auth | Optional, recommended | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| EU hosted (GDPR) | Yes | US | US | Various |
| Free to use | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If any of these sound like you, Markero was built with you in mind.
Communicate with sources without a phone number connecting the thread to you. Your private key is encrypted before it leaves your device.
Share photos, voice notes and everyday messages without handing the service provider a readable copy.
Group chats with end-to-end encryption, optional message requests to stop spam, and full session control across devices.
Run invite-only private channels for announcements. Owners and admins post, followers read, and every post stays end-to-end encrypted.
You don't need to be technical to use Markero. The encryption happens automatically.
Pick a username and a password. No email, no phone number. Your browser generates your encryption keypair on the spot.
Scan the QR code to enable two-factor authentication now, or skip it and turn it on later in settings. It is strongly recommended, but not required.
Message anyone on Markero, create a group, or start an invite-only private channel. Everything is encrypted automatically — no settings to configure, no keys to manage.
If you enable 2FA: you'll need an authenticator app — Google Authenticator, Aegis, 1Password or similar. They're free and take a minute to set up. You can also skip this step and enable it later.
No email, no phone number. Works in your browser and on Android. Free to start.
Create your account