# Monal vs DEF CON Forums

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Monal at 58% against DEF CON Forums's 0%. Monal also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (141 vs 6). DEF CON Forums's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 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 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 141 ratings behind it against 6, 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 0% of DEF CON Forums's.

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, DEF CON Forums every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | DEF CON Forums |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/def-con-forums/id1472107132/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [DEF CON, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472107131) |

## 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


### DEF CON Forums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/def-con-forums/id1472107132)

Connect with the hacker and infosec communities. Discuss topics, plan for DEF CON conferences, and access the official forums directly through a streamlined interface. Supports multiple languages and prioritizes user privacy.

**Highlights:** Access DEF CON forums, Connect with hacker community, Infosec discussions, Conference planning, Multi-language support, Privacy-focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is DEF CON Forums free?

DEF CON Forums is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Monal or DEF CON Forums?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while DEF CON Forums averages 3.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Monal or DEF CON Forums have ads?

Neither Monal nor DEF CON Forums shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or DEF CON Forums?

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and DEF CON Forums every 3 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 20, 2026 and DEF CON Forums on September 16, 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.*