Comparison

Monal vs K9 Chat

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Open Source
  • No Ads
  • OMEMO encrypted chat
  • Multi user chat (MUC)
  • Audio/Video calls
  • File sharing
Features
Read full description

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

About

K9 Chat

This secure chat application offers end-to-end encryption and zero-trust communication for private teams and organizations. It supports audio, video, screensharing, and voice notes without tracking user activity. Access requires an account provided by an administrator.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Zero-trust communication
  • Anonymous messaging
  • Audio and video calls
  • Screensharing
  • Voice notes
Features
Read full description

K9 Chat is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app for organisations that run their own K9 Chat server. Messages, calls and files are encrypted on your device, so only the people in the conversation can read them. FEATURES • One-to-one and group messaging • Encrypted voice and video calls • Screen sharing • Voice messages • Photo, video and file sharing • Threads, replies and reactions FOR ORGANISATIONS K9 Chat connects only to K9 servers operated by your own organisation, whether on premise, cloud-hosted or hybrid. It is not a public messaging network and does not connect to any other service. BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD An account is required, and accounts are issued by your organisation's administrator. Without one, you will not be able to sign in.

Screenshots

Monal4 screens
K9 Chat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: K9 Chat at 5.0 against Monal's 3.7. K9 Chat also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%). Monal's advantage is ratings volume (141 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

K9 Chat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 141 ratings behind it against 2, 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 K9 Chat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, K9 Chat every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Monal versus K9 Chat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonalK9 Chat
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (141 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings141 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB254 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo MolitorColohost LLC

Customer experience

Monal

All ratings140 ratings
Positive64.3%
Neutral8.6%
Negative27.1%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive57.7%
Neutral12.6%
Negative29.7%

K9 Chat

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

K9 Chat

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Monal

No in-app purchases

None

K9 Chat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Monal free?
Monal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is K9 Chat free?
K9 Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Monal or K9 Chat?
K9 Chat is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while K9 Chat averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Monal or K9 Chat have ads?
Neither Monal nor K9 Chat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monal or K9 Chat?
Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and K9 Chat every 3 weeks. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 20, 2026 and K9 Chat on October 16, 2026.

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