# Monal vs Berty Messenger

The clearest difference is rating: Monal at 3.7 against Berty Messenger's 3.1. Monal also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 32%) and ratings volume (142 vs 23). Berty Messenger's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). 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.

Monal holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 142 ratings behind it against 23, 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 32% of Berty Messenger's.

Monal ships an update monthly, Berty Messenger every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Berty Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [3.1 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/berty-messenger/id1535500412/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **142** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 32.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 72 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Berty Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437267587) |

## 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


### Berty Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/berty-messenger/id1535500412)

This app offers secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging without central servers. It allows communication even without an internet connection, ensuring anonymity and protecting user metadata from surveillance.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted messaging, 100% decentralized P2P network, Completely anonymous user profiles, Metadata protection, Offline communication via Bluetooth, Group chats and media sharing, Voice message sharing

**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 Berty Messenger free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or Berty Messenger?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 142 ratings, while Berty Messenger averages 3.1 from 23 ratings.

### Do Monal or Berty Messenger have ads?

Neither Monal nor Berty Messenger shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Berty Messenger?

Monal ships an update monthly, and Berty Messenger every 2 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on November 10, 2026 and Berty Messenger on November 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.*