Comparison

Monal vs a.s.d.f

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

a.s.d.f

Connect with your local community through a private, real-time network. Discover local deals, events, and classifieds, and chat with neighbors securely. Your town, in your pocket.

Highlights
  • Local deals from verified shops
  • Discover nearby events
  • Real-time zip-code chat rooms
  • Local classifieds for buying/selling
  • AI-powered local discovery
  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
Features
Read full description

a.s.d.f is your town, in your pocket — the local layer for everywhere you go. Instead of global feeds and the biggest ad, every zip code gets a private, real-time network where you can find today's deals from the shops around you, see what's happening nearby, talk to locals, buy and sell, and discover events. Not from across the country. From across the street. Free, local, and private by default. REAL DEALS FROM THE SHOPS AROUND YOU The best deals in town, not the biggest ad. See live deals happening right now from verified local businesses — real, verified shops, not random ads. Our AI shows the right deal to the right person: relevance, not budget. SEARCH WHAT'S NEAR Shops, deals, events, and rooms in one bar, sorted by how close they are. If it's happening near you, it's here — one app for the whole town. PINNED TO A REAL PLACE Every post lives on the spot it belongs to — not lost in an endless national feed. LIVE ZIP-CODE ROOMS Join real-time rooms by zip code to ask about a street, an event, a lost dog, traffic, or a good plumber. Rooms are localized, socket-powered, and end-to-end encrypted. A room limit keeps things relevant and spam-free while you follow home, work, and places you travel. LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS Buy, sell, and ask locally. Post for-sale items, services, housing, jobs, lost & found, and notices — visible only in your zip code and nearby areas. Browse by category, save favorites, and talk to a seller privately through encrypted chat. VERIFIED SHOPS, TRUSTED REVIEWS A shop is a real, reviewed, verified entity. Every review is left by a verified person and pinned to a real place — a reputation that's earned, not bought. ASK AI ABOUT YOUR AREA A local AI assistant turns discovery into a conversation: "What's happening near me?" "Find deals around me." It connects rooms, events, deals, and classifieds into one local command layer. PRIVATE & GROUP MESSAGING Message anyone with end-to-end encrypted DMs — text, photos, video, voice, GIFs, stickers, and live location. React, quote-reply, and see read receipts. Create private groups or join public topic rooms; an accept-first model keeps unwanted messages out. YOUR DOT IS YOURS Activity shows as a heat map of how busy a place is, never who's in it. You see the life of your town without ever giving up your location. END-TO-END ENCRYPTED, EVERYWHERE Privacy isn't a setting — it's the foundation. Chats, group rooms, topics, and even public reels are end-to-end encrypted by the Fourier Protocol — our zero-knowledge system built in Rust on the same proven cryptography behind Signal (X3DH, the Double Ratchet for forward secrecy, and Sender Keys for large groups). The server never holds plaintext or the keys to derive it. Your keys never leave your device — not even we can read your messages. Verify contacts with 60-digit safety numbers. EVENTS & COMMUNITY Create and discover local events with details, itineraries, and RSVP tracking. Join topic-based communities around sports, music, tech, gaming, food, travel, and more. PROFILES Build a trusted local profile with a photo gallery, bio, and location. Verify your identity — real neighbors, not anonymous accounts. RUN A LOCAL SHOP? The corner store deserves to be found. a.s.d.f gives your shop a free living storefront on the map — logo, hours, photos, and offers — always fresh and built to be found by search, AI, and the people right around you. Claim your business in minutes and post a deal — it's in the feed instantly. Main Street, back on the map. MORE FEATURES - Public Shorts — encrypted, reel-style local videos - Local map with hot zones and live activity - Full-text search across users, topics, listings, and events - Share listings to WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, email, and SMS - Block and report users for a safer community a.s.d.f is more than another neighborhood app. It's your town, in your pocket.

Screenshots

Monal4 screens
a.s.d.f4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: a.s.d.f at 5.0 against Monal's 3.7. a.s.d.f also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Monal's advantage is ratings volume (140 vs 4) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

a.s.d.f holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 140 ratings behind it against 4, 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 a.s.d.f's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, a.s.d.f fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Monal versus a.s.d.f: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonala.s.d.f
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (140 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings140 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB110 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMolitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo MolitorInstanc Inc.

Customer experience

Monal

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

a.s.d.f

All ratings4 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

a.s.d.f

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Monal

No in-app purchases

None

a.s.d.f

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Monal free?
Monal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is a.s.d.f free?
a.s.d.f is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Monal or a.s.d.f?
a.s.d.f is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while a.s.d.f averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Monal or a.s.d.f have ads?
Neither Monal nor a.s.d.f shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Monal or a.s.d.f?
Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and a.s.d.f fortnightly. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 16, 2026 and a.s.d.f on October 1, 2026.

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