# Monal vs Librem Chat

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 (140 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.

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 140 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.

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, Librem Chat monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Librem Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews) | **[3.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librem-chat/id1456162175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **140** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **56.9% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 69 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [PURISM, SPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448949014) |

## 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


### Librem Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librem-chat/id1456162175)

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.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Text chat rooms, Voice and video calls, Image, video, and file sharing, Free and open-source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is Librem Chat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or Librem Chat?

Librem Chat is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Librem Chat averages 3.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Monal or Librem Chat have ads?

Neither Monal nor Librem Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Librem Chat?

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and Librem Chat monthly. Most recently, Monal was updated on September 28, 2026 and Librem Chat on June 1, 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.*