Monal vs FluffyChat
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
FluffyChat
This open-source messenger app offers secure, decentralized communication with a user-friendly interface. It supports various message types, group chats, and advanced moderation features, all while prioritizing user privacy and a delightful experience.
- Send messages, images, and files
- Voice messages and location sharing
- Unlimited private and public group chats
- Public channels with thousands of participants
- End-to-end encryption
- Encrypted chat backup
- Discover and join public groups
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FluffyChat is an open source, nonprofit and cute matrix messenger app. The app is easy to use but secure and decentralized. Features: - Send all kinds of messages, images and files - Voice messages - Location sharing - Push notifications - Unlimited private and public group chats - Public channels with thousands of participants - Feature rich group moderation including all matrix features - Discover and join public groups - Material You design - Hides complexity of Matrix IDs behind simple QR codes - Custom emotes and stickers - Spaces - Compatible with Element, Nheko, NeoChat and all other Matrix apps - End to end encryption - Encrypted chat backup - Emoji verification & cross signing ... and much more. FluffyChat comes with a dream! Imagine a world where everyone can choose the messenger they like and is still able to chat with all of their friends. A world where there are no companies spying on you when you send selfies to friends and lovers. And a world where apps are made for fluffyness and not for profit.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FluffyChat at 4.0 against Monal's 3.7. Monal's advantage is review sentiment (57% vs 48%). On price, ratings volume, 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.
FluffyChat holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 133 and 98 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 48% of FluffyChat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monal | FluffyChat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (133 ratings) | 4.0 (98 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews — better | 48.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 133 — better | 98 |
| 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 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Thilo Molitor | Christian Kussowski |
Customer experience
Monal
FluffyChat
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
FluffyChat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Monal
No in-app purchases
FluffyChat
No in-app purchases









