# Monal vs ChatSecure Messenger

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Monal at none against ChatSecure Messenger's 3. ChatSecure Messenger's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChatSecure Messenger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Monal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ChatSecure Messenger holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 133 and 282 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 51% of ChatSecure Messenger's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Monal ships an update monthly, ChatSecure Messenger every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | ChatSecure Messenger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews) | **[4.2 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 133 | **282** |
| Positive reviews | **56.9% of reviews** | 51.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 69 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Chris Ballinger](https://appshunter.io/developer/433040866) |

## 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

**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


### ChatSecure Messenger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chatsecure-messenger/id464200063)

This free and open source messaging app provides secure, end-to-end encrypted conversations using OTR and OMEMO over the XMPP protocol. It offers interoperability with other XMPP clients and uses well-known cryptographic libraries for privacy.

**Highlights:** OTR encryption, OMEMO encryption, XMPP protocol, TLS certificate pinning, SQLCipher local encryption, Open source

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $2.99 Donation | $2.99 | per month |
| $5.99 Donation | $5.99 | per month |
| $9.99 Donation | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 🔒 Secure chat
- 👍 Intuitive setup
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Excellent service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes often
- 🐛 Buggy
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Messages not syncing
- 🐛 Stability issues

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Fails to send messages
- Notifications not working
- Syncing issues across devices
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add group chat support
- Improve background support
- Add search functionality
- Customization options
- Improve message delivery reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is ChatSecure Messenger free?

ChatSecure Messenger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

ChatSecure Messenger is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while ChatSecure Messenger averages 4.2 from 282 ratings.

### Do Monal or ChatSecure Messenger have ads?

Neither Monal nor ChatSecure Messenger shows ads.

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

Monal ships an update monthly, and ChatSecure Messenger every 2 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on September 5, 2026 and ChatSecure Messenger on September 15, 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.*