# LimeChat vs Linphone

The clearest difference is price: Linphone at Free against LimeChat's $4.99. LimeChat's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 35%) and rating (3.1 vs 2.7). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

LimeChat holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of LimeChat's written reviews are positive against 35% of Linphone's.

LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, Linphone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LimeChat | Linphone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.1 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/limechat-irc-client/id298766460/reviews)** | [2.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linphone/id360065638/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **65.2% of reviews** | 35.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Satoshi Nakagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/289930656) | [Belledonne Communications SARL](https://appshunter.io/developer/694969034) |

## What reviewers say

### LimeChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/limechat-irc-client/id298766460)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Paid · Social Networking (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and lightweight IRC client
- 👍 Clean, intuitive, and simple user interface
- 🔒 Supports SSL connections and security features
- 📱 Works well on both iPhone and iPad
- 🎯 Reliable and stable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Keyboard jumping/positioning issues on iOS
- 🔌 Disconnects when app is backgrounded
- 🐛 Connection drops on WiFi and VPN
- ❌ No background connectivity/refresh
- 🐛 Scrolling issues after sending messages

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Background connectivity and app refresh
- Push/pop-up notifications
- Nick/username autocomplete
- Split view support for iPad
- Landscape mode


### Linphone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linphone/id360065638)

This open-source application provides free audio and video calls, as well as text messaging, over the internet. It allows users to stay reachable at all times via WiFi or mobile data, even when the app is closed. Enjoy secure communication and the ability to connect with traditional phone lines.

**Highlights:** High definition audio and video calls, Audio conference calls, Picture and file sharing, Push notifications for reachability, Secure communication with encryption, SIP-compliant VoIP service integration

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good call quality
- 🚀 Works well with SIP providers
- 💡 Useful features like DTMF support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, crashes frequently
- 🔑 Issues with account setup and configuration
- 🔒 Security concerns with password handling
- 🔋 Unreliable background/push notification support

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Incoming calls not working properly
- Settings not saving correctly
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple SIP accounts
- Improve user interface and navigation
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance audio quality and noise cancellation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LimeChat free?

LimeChat costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Linphone free?

Linphone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LimeChat or Linphone?

LimeChat is rated higher. LimeChat averages 3.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Linphone averages 2.7 from 10 ratings.

### Do LimeChat or Linphone have ads?

Neither LimeChat nor Linphone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LimeChat or Linphone?

LimeChat ships an update every 5 weeks, and Linphone every 2 months. Most recently, LimeChat was updated on October 16, 2026 and Linphone on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*