Monal vs Librem Chat
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
Librem Chat
This app provides secure text, voice, and video communication with end-to-end encryption. Share images, videos, and files in chat rooms while keeping conversations private. It is free and open-source software.
- End-to-end encryption
- Text chat rooms
- Voice and video calls
- Image, video, and file sharing
- Free and open-source
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* Chat rooms * Share images, videos, and files * Make voice and video calls * Keep your conversations secret with end-to-end encryption * Free and open-source software (FOSS)
Screenshots
Verdict
Monal and Librem Chat both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 57% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 33% of Librem Chat's. Monal also leads on ratings volume (133 vs 11). Librem Chat's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Monal against 3.8 for Librem Chat. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 133 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 33% of Librem Chat's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monal | Librem Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (133 ratings) | 3.8 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 133 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thilo Molitor | PURISM, SPC |
Customer experience
Monal
Librem Chat
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
Librem Chat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Monal
No in-app purchases
Librem Chat
No in-app purchases
