# Monal vs Synod.im

The clearest difference is rating: Synod.im at 4.8 against Monal's 3.7. Synod.im also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%). Monal's advantage is ratings volume (141 vs 5). On price, update cadence, 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.

Synod.im holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 141 ratings behind it against 5, 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 100% of Synod.im's.

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, Synod.im every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Synod.im |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synodim/id1488171544/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 157 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Christoph Settgast](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488171543) |

## 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


### Synod.im

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synodim/id1488171544)

This app allows participation in a federated messaging system, offering a Matrix-compatible messenger. It connects to a default server but supports others, serving as a fork of a popular iOS client.

**Highlights:** Matrix-compatible messaging, Federated system participation, Customizable homeserver, Fork of Element iOS, Decentralized communication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is Synod.im free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or Synod.im?

Synod.im is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while Synod.im averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do Monal or Synod.im have ads?

Neither Monal nor Synod.im shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Synod.im?

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and Synod.im every 2 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 20, 2026 and Synod.im on October 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.*