Comparison

Monal vs Chatris

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

Chatris

Features
Read full description

Chatris är en enkel och smidig chat där du kan direkt börja prata med andra personer utan att behöva skapa någon användare.

Screenshots

Monal4 screens
Chatris1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Monal at every 5 weeks against Chatris's every 123 months. Chatris's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, Chatris every 123 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Monal versus Chatris: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonalChatris
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (140 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings140 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 123 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo MolitorNetix AB

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

Chatris

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Monal

No in-app purchases

None

Chatris

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Monal free?
Monal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chatris free?
Chatris is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Monal or Chatris have ads?
Neither Monal nor Chatris shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monal or Chatris?
Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chatris every 123 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 16, 2026 and Chatris on October 4, 2026.

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