First off, all look pretty promising to me. I just tested them. Actually I am pretty sure that none of them supports encryption right now? Quaternion doesn't yet.
I cannot test Fractal and Nheko, because both have problems with my self signed server cert:
- Fractal: I don't get any meaningful error message nor is there a verbose mode. They probably use rust debug builds for that?
- Nheko at least tells me that the "ssl handshake failed", no chance to accept it manually tho and no precise error message.
I use Riot on a daily basis and I like the overall concept, we love federated where I communicate. So let me try to share some experiences that bugger me the most because I really hope you could imporve on those things. Imho those things are more important than UI. (form follows function, sorry guys ;D)
- Messages that can't be decrypted on only some of my devices. This for example forces me to use my phone while sitting in front of my riot desktop application. This becomes worse if ppl send me URLs. I have to forward them from my phone to my pc - using an empty channel with only me reading, having riot telling me that noone is listening :D. Im-/exporting all keys on all my devices only helps for a while and is impossible while not at home. This mostly - but not only - happens with linux.
- Searching the history doesn't work well at all. Shows zero results for a string, scrolling up proves that wrong.
- My phone doesn't stop to blink even tho I read the message on my pc.
- I really do not like electron and things relying on 100+mb google sandbox software. But well, I understand your need to use it... ;D
I cannot test Fractal and Nheko, because both have problems with my self signed server cert:
- Fractal: I don't get any meaningful error message nor is there a verbose mode. They probably use rust debug builds for that?
- Nheko at least tells me that the "ssl handshake failed", no chance to accept it manually tho and no precise error message.