# Monal vs WIRC

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | WIRC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wirc/id1182382960/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Maku Teknoloji](https://appshunter.io/developer/492657054) |

## What reviewers say

### Monal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500)

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.

**Highlights:** Open Source, No Ads, OMEMO encrypted chat, Multi user chat (MUC), Audio/Video calls, File sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Secure XMPP client
- 👍 Best XMPP client on iOS
- 🚀 Robust and dependable
- 👍 Actively developed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Encryption problems
- 👎 Buggy UI and UX
- 🔍 Missing basic features (copy/paste, etc.)
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Disconnects frequently
- Incompatible with some XMPP servers
- Crashes when sending messages
- Issues with loading contact lists

**Requested features**

- Add OTR/PGP encryption support
- Improve group chat functionality
- Allow customization of sounds and notifications
- Optimize for older iOS versions


### WIRC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wirc/id1182382960)

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.

**Highlights:** WebRTC and IRC integration, Connect to IRC chat servers, Voice call functionality, Report and block users, Channel operator notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is WIRC free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or WIRC?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while WIRC averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Monal or WIRC have ads?

Neither Monal nor WIRC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or WIRC?

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and WIRC fortnightly. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 20, 2026 and WIRC on October 24, 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.*