# Monal vs ARVK

The clearest difference is update cadence: Monal at monthly against ARVK's every 35 months. Monal also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Monal ships an update monthly, ARVK every 35 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | ARVK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **142** | — |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 35 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 72 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [George Ivanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1287458597) |

## 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


### ARVK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arvk/id1338466470)

Experience the future of social interaction with this app, designed to elevate your communication with friends. It offers a new dimension to connecting and sharing.

**Highlights:** Enhanced communication, New level of connection, Social interaction, Friend engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is ARVK free?

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

### Do Monal or ARVK have ads?

Neither Monal nor ARVK shows ads.

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

Monal ships an update monthly, and ARVK every 35 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 29, 2026 and ARVK on October 7, 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.*