# Monal vs Zeko Chat

The clearest difference is rating: Monal at 3.7 against Zeko Chat's 3.0. Monal also leads on ratings volume (142 vs 5) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). Zeko Chat's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Monal holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Monal has 142 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Zeko Chat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Monal ships an update monthly, Zeko Chat every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | Zeko Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zeko-chat/id6756353165/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **142** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 72 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Laszlo Horvath](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776797439) |

## 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


### Zeko Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zeko-chat/id6756353165)

Connect with friends through direct and group messages, or build communities with servers. Enjoy a secure, private, and fast messaging experience with a modern design.

**Highlights:** Direct Messaging, Group Chats, Communities & Servers, Secure & Private, Modern Design, Fast & Reliable

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monal free?

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

### Is Zeko Chat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Monal or Zeko Chat?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 142 ratings, while Zeko Chat averages 3.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Monal or Zeko Chat have ads?

Neither Monal nor Zeko Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or Zeko Chat?

Monal ships an update monthly, and Zeko Chat every 11 days. Most recently, Monal was updated on November 6, 2026 and Zeko Chat on October 30, 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.*