# Monal vs Subset Network

The clearest difference is price: Monal at Free against Subset Network's $0.99. Monal also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Monal is free to download; Subset Network costs $0.99 up front. Subset Network sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Monal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Monal ships an update monthly, Subset Network every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Subset Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **141** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Subset Network Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811189371) |

## 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


### Subset Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subset-network/id6745224934)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subset Monthly | $0.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is Subset Network free?

Subset Network costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Do Monal or Subset Network have ads?

Neither Monal nor Subset Network shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Subset Network?

Monal ships an update monthly, and Subset Network every 2 months. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 31, 2026 and Subset Network on October 30, 2026.

---

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