# Monal vs Ramblio

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ramblio at fortnightly against Monal's every 5 weeks. Monal's advantage is ratings volume (141 vs 27). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Monal against 3.6 for Ramblio. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 141 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 55% of Ramblio's.

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, Ramblio fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Ramblio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [3.6 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ramblio/id6749940956/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Joshua Stirland](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501414358) |

## 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


### Ramblio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ramblio/id6749940956)

This audio-first social app allows users to share moments and stories through short voice posts called Rambles. Engage in live conversations with others in Hangouts and explore content based on your interests. Express yourself through sound, from thoughts and creations to ambient recordings.

**Highlights:** Post audio Rambles, Host live Hangouts, Explore interest-based Zones, Reply with voice or text comments, Send private voice/text chats, React to content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is Ramblio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or Ramblio?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while Ramblio averages 3.6 from 27 ratings.

### Do Monal or Ramblio have ads?

Neither Monal nor Ramblio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Ramblio?

Monal ships an update every 5 weeks, and Ramblio fortnightly. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 20, 2026 and Ramblio on October 24, 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.*