# Monal vs K9 Chat

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | K9 Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/k9-chat/id1603886124/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 254 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Colohost LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1582364323) |

## 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


### K9 Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/k9-chat/id1603886124)

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:** 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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*