Monal vs WIRC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Monal
This open-source messenger provides a fast and user-friendly way to connect to the XMPP public chat network. Enjoy private, ad-free communication with end-to-end encryption and features like group chats and file sharing.
- Open Source
- No Ads
- OMEMO encrypted chat
- Multi user chat (MUC)
- Audio/Video calls
- File sharing
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There has never been a better time to get into XMPP, a free public chat network no one controls or owns. Monal is a fast and user friendly way to use XMPP. Just download the app, login or register and you are ready to chat in minutes. It looks and works the way other apps do, so there is no need to “learn XMPP” or even care what it is. Notable features: - Open Source - No Ads! Strong focus on privacy. Does not phone home and does not have software "metrics" - Does not read any personal information - With a direct connection to your server, your password and all other info are never sent to a third-party - OMEMO encrypted chat - Will work with corporate XMPP servers that require VPN - Multi user chat (MUC) support for group chats - Audio/Video calls Implements certain XMPP extensions intended to improve mobile communication: - XEP-0357: Push Notifications - XEP-0280: Message Carbons keep messages in synch between clients - XEP-0198: Stream Management to quickly reconnect - XEP-0199: XMPP Ping to maintain connections - XEP-0313: Message Archive Management to download chat history - XEP-0352: Client State Indication for dramatic reduction on power use - XEP-0363: HTTP File Upload to send images in conversations
WIRC
This app integrates WebRTC and IRC technologies, allowing users to connect to chat servers and engage in voice calls with contacts. It provides tools for reporting and blocking disruptive users within chat channels.
- WebRTC and IRC integration
- Connect to IRC chat servers
- Voice call functionality
- Report and block users
- Channel operator notifications
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WIRC is the first chat application that brings WebRTC and IRC technologies together. You can connect to and chat with IRC chat servers that are readily available or can be defined by the user himself. You can send an invitation to the person you are chatting with to call you. When your friend touches the call button, the call screen in your application will open and soon the voice call will start. Users who are bothering you can notify channel operators with a complaint button in chat options. Channel administrators will make the necessary warnings for these users. If you like, you can block these users by clicking the block button and you can stop to get a message from them again. Only voice call is available in this version of WIRC. In future versions, the video call feature will be added. To make a call, the client applications must be WIRC, otherwise the option will not be shown
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Monal at 58% against WIRC's 14%. Monal also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (141 vs 4). WIRC's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Monal holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 141 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 14% of WIRC's.
Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, WIRC fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monal | WIRC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (141 ratings) — better | 2.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews — better | 14.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 141 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor | Maku Teknoloji |
Customer experience
Monal
WIRC
Bugs and requests
Monal
Reported bugs
4 issues- Disconnects frequently
- Incompatible with some XMPP servers
- Crashes when sending messages
- Issues with loading contact lists
Requested features
4 requests- Add OTR/PGP encryption support
- Improve group chat functionality
- Allow customization of sounds and notifications
- Optimize for older iOS versions
WIRC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Monal
No in-app purchases
WIRC
No in-app purchases
