Monal vs MeshCore
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Open Source
- No Ads
- OMEMO encrypted chat
- Multi user chat (MUC)
- Audio/Video calls
- File sharing
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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
MeshCore
This app enables secure, off-grid communication using LoRa radio devices. It allows users to pair with their device, set up their radio, and send messages to other discovered users on the same frequency. It's a decentralized way to connect without relying on traditional networks.
- Off-grid mesh communication
- Secure messaging
- LoRa radio device support
- Bluetooth device pairing
- Customizable display name
- Network discovery and contact list
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The Official MeshCore Companion App! Communicate without the internet! MeshCore is a simple, secure, off-grid mesh communications system. Build your own low-cost, long-range, encrypted messaging network. You can still send messages even when WiFi, Cellular, and Starlink are down. To use this app, you must have a supported LoRa radio device, that has been flashed with the MeshCore Companion Firmware. Once you've installed the app, you will need to: - Pair with your MeshCore device using Bluetooth. - Set a custom display name. - and, Configure your LoRa radio settings. That's it! You can now advertise yourself on the network using the signal icon, and send messages to other users you have discovered on the same frequency. When other devices on the network have been discovered, they will show up in your contacts list. For more information, please visit the MeshCore website. - https://meshcore.io
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MeshCore at 4.4 against Monal's 3.7. MeshCore also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 58%). Monal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. MeshCore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Monal asks for nothing beyond the download.
MeshCore holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 140 and 93 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 74% of MeshCore's.
Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, MeshCore every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monal | MeshCore |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (140 ratings) | 4.4 (93 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | 73.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 140 — better | 93 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor | Liam Cottle |
Customer experience
Monal
MeshCore
User reviews
Monal
From 140 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Secure XMPP client
- 👍 Best XMPP client on iOS
- 🚀 Robust and dependable
- 👍 Actively developed
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Encryption problems
- 👎 Buggy UI and UX
- 🔍 Missing basic features (copy/paste, etc.)
- 🔋 High battery consumption
MeshCore
From 93 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and effective setup
- 🚀 Fast and stable performance
- 💡 Innovative mesh technology
- 😊 Good for off-grid communication
- ✅ Works well for LoRa
Room to improve
- 🐛 Bluetooth connection issues
- 🔋 Drains device battery quickly
- ❌ Cryptic error messages
- 🐛 UI is a mess
- 🐛 Difficult to reflash
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
MeshCore
Reported bugs
30 issues- Cannot pair all nodes
- Cryptic error messages
- UI is a mess
- Bluetooth connection issues
- Connection drops frequently
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Cannot reset device
- Difficult to reflash
- Pairing failures (PIN issues)
- No network found
- Bluetooth disconnects when app is closed
- WiFi connection locks out BLE
- Losing connection to companion, requires app restart
- Different UI for companion and reporter
- Blocks important functionality under wait timer
- Fails to fetch device info
- Connection lost
- Device not found via Bluetooth
- Crashes on loading
- Intermittent crashes and instability
- UI is basic
- App sees device but no connection
- Bluetooth connection issues on iOS
- Cannot connect to Bluetooth on iPhone
- App crashes immediately
- Kills battery & won't fetch data
- Displays zero data and error messages on iPhones/iPad
- Constantly disconnects in background
- Device Information timeout/disappears
- No channel or contacts sync
- Stuck on 'waiting for device to connect'
Requested features
13 requests- More features and a UI appropriate for Apple devices
- Background connections and updates on iOS
- Expand contact list beyond 350
- About section for contacts
- Add Russian language
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Emoji tap backs
- Apple Watch compatibility
- MQTT or similar internet linking for long haul messaging
- In-app way to make devices hibernate/sleep/power down
- GPS for repeater location and clock
- Blacklist option for repeaters
- Auto update geolocation of LoRa device
- Update firmware via the app
In-app purchases
Monal
No in-app purchases
MeshCore
- Remote Management$7.99
