Comparison

LimeChat vs Element X

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LimeChat

This app provides a comprehensive IRC chat experience on mobile devices. It offers quick navigation, message highlighting, and support for multiple servers and channels. Enjoy seamless communication with features like automatic authentication and a built-in browser for links.

Highlights
  • Quick navigation with arrow buttons
  • Event indicators for other channels
  • Message highlighting and vibration
  • Visual user information (whois)
  • Built-in browser for URLs
  • Multiple server and channel support
  • Automatic Nickserv authentication
Features
Read full description

LimeChat for iOS is a full featured IRC client. It allows you to chat on the go in the same way as you do on desktop. Features: ・Quick navigation. You can move around channels quickly by arrow buttons or tapping on the left/right side of log views. ・Arrow buttons indicate events (highlight, new message coming or new PM coming) happened in the other channels. So you can recognize it easily while chatting in another channel. ・Highlights messages and optionally vibrates for your specific words. ・Visual interface for user information (whois). ・Built-in browser for clickable URL links. ・Full support for landscape mode. ・Multitasking support. Connections are kept up for a while (2-7 minutes) after going to background. ・Multiple servers and channels. ・Automatic Nickserv authentication support. ・Full support for many text encodings. ・SSL support. (Self-signed certificates are NOT supported) ・VoiceOver support. Notes: ・DCC is NOT supported currently. **** ATTENTION **** I can't provide support to people leaving reviews on App Store. There is no way to reply to you here. If you have a problem or suggestion, please send a mail to psychs@limechat.net.

About

Element X

Communicate securely and privately with instant messaging and video calls. This app offers robust features for individuals and communities, allowing you to own your data and choose where it's hosted. Enjoy real-time communication with synchronized history across all your devices.

Highlights
  • Real-time messaging
  • Video calls
  • Public and private rooms
  • Rich messaging features
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Data ownership and server choice
Features
Read full description

Freedom to communicate on your own terms For individuals and communities - private communication between family, friends, hobby groups, clubs, etc. Element X gives you fast, secure and private instant messaging and video calls built on Matrix, the open standard for real-time communication. This is a free and open-source app maintained at https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios Stay in touch with friends, family and communities with: • Real time messaging & video calls • Public rooms for open group communication • Private rooms for closed group communication • Rich messaging features: emoji reactions, replies, polls, pinned messages and more. • Video calling while browsing messages. • Interoperability with other Matrix-based apps such as FluffyChat, Cinny and many more. Privacy-first Unlike some other messengers from Big Tech companies, we don’t mine your data or monitor your communications. Own your conversations Choose where to host your data - from any public server (the largest free server is matrix.org, but there are plenty of others to choose from) to creating your own personal server and hosting it on your own domain. This ability to choose a server is a large part of what differentiates us from other real time communication apps. However you host, you have ownership; it’s your data. You’re not the product. You’re in control. Communicate in real time, all the time Use Element everywhere. Stay in touch wherever you are with fully synchronised message history across all your devices, including on the web at https://app.element.io Element X is our next-generation app If you’re using the previous-generation Element Classic app, it’s time to try Element X! It’s faster, easier to use, and more powerful than the classic app. It’s better in every way and we’re adding new features all the time.

Screenshots

LimeChat4 screens
Element X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Element X at Free against LimeChat's $4.99. Element X also leads on rating (3.4 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (156 vs 11). LimeChat's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 39%) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Element X is free to download; LimeChat costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Element X holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element X has 156 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of LimeChat's written reviews are positive against 39% of Element X's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, Element X fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
LimeChat versus Element X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLimeChatElement X
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.1 (11 ratings)3.4 (156 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.2% of reviews — better39.1% of reviews
Number of ratings11156 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#67 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB313 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSatoshi NakagawaVector Creations Limited

Customer experience

LimeChat

All ratings11 ratings
Positive45.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative45.5%
Written reviews230 reviews
Positive65.2%
Neutral12.6%
Negative22.2%

Element X

All ratings156 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral12.8%
Negative30.1%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive39.1%
Neutral20.1%
Negative40.8%

Bugs and requests

LimeChat

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Keyboard jumps when sending messages (iOS 26.1)
  • Scrolling breaks after message send
  • App disconnects when backgrounded
  • Connection drops on WiFi/VPN
  • Keyboard doesn't appear on iPhone X
Show 9 more
  • Keyboard positioning issues with external keyboards
  • App crashes with multitasking
  • Screen lock causes disconnection
  • EOF errors disconnecting from server
  • Channels don't open when using ZNC bouncer
  • Long connection times over 3G
  • Fuzzy/blurry icon on retina displays
  • Input area moves up with external keyboard
  • App becomes unresponsive intermittently

Requested features

20 requests
  • Background connectivity and app refresh
  • Push/pop-up notifications
  • Nick/username autocomplete
  • Split view support for iPad
  • Landscape mode
Show 15 more
  • Dark theme option
  • Color text support
  • DCC file transfer support
  • Timestamps on messages
  • Command history
  • Swipe gestures between channels
  • Hardware keyboard support
  • Channel search feature
  • More built-in server list
  • Copy/paste improvements
  • Scripting support
  • Dynamic type for accessibility
  • Nick completion with tab key
  • Hide join/quit messages option
  • Larger font size options

Element X

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

LimeChat

No in-app purchases

None

Element X

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LimeChat free?
LimeChat costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Element X free?
Element X is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LimeChat or Element X?
Element X is rated higher. LimeChat averages 3.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Element X averages 3.4 from 156 ratings.
Do LimeChat or Element X have ads?
Neither LimeChat nor Element X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LimeChat or Element X?
LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, and Element X fortnightly. Most recently, LimeChat was updated on October 16, 2026 and Element X on October 16, 2026.

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