# Monal vs PathSwap

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PathSwap at 100% against Monal's 58%. PathSwap also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Monal ships an update monthly, PathSwap weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | PathSwap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **142** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 72 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Pinro Technologies Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/959956400) |

## 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


### PathSwap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathswap/id1608804902)

This app connects job seekers with companies through video content, offering career advice and insights into team culture. Users can share their professional journeys to help others and learn from industry experts.

**Highlights:** Video job postings, Career advice from experts, Company culture insights, Personalized career paths, Content sharing for career journeys

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is PathSwap free?

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

### Do Monal or PathSwap have ads?

Neither Monal nor PathSwap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or PathSwap?

Monal ships an update monthly, and PathSwap weekly. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 29, 2026 and PathSwap on October 14, 2026.

---

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