Many people feel this way. This is why there are so many incredibly high-quality open source tools today. Chime is definitely not made for people that want to tinker. Some major components of the app are open source, though, and more are coming.

But, there's no spyware in the app and there absolutely will never be in the future. Of course, if you don't want to take my word on that (and also do not trust Little Snitch), open source is the best option. There are tons of good things out there, even specifically for the Mac.