# Monal vs TurboIRC 3

The clearest difference is rating: Monal at 3.7 against TurboIRC 3's 3.1. Monal also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 46%). TurboIRC 3's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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.

Monal holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 141 and 56 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 46% of TurboIRC 3's.

Monal ships an update monthly, TurboIRC 3 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monal | TurboIRC 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monal-xmpp-chat/id317711500/reviews)** | [3.1 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turboirc-3/id978108367/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 56 |
| Positive reviews | **57.7% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 72 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **7.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508738269) | [Michael Chourdakis](https://appshunter.io/developer/574876668) |

## 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


### TurboIRC 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turboirc-3/id978108367)

This is an advanced IRC client for iOS devices, offering a full suite of features for real-time chat. It supports unlimited channels, rich text formatting, log saving, and extensive server and user controls. Enjoy file transfers, scripting, and more, all for free.

**Highlights:** Unlimited channels, Rich text formatting, Save HTML logs, Channel and Nick control, File transfers, JavaScript scripting

**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 TurboIRC 3 free?

TurboIRC 3 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Monal or TurboIRC 3?

Monal is rated higher. Monal averages 3.7 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while TurboIRC 3 averages 3.1 from 56 ratings.

### Do Monal or TurboIRC 3 have ads?

Neither Monal nor TurboIRC 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Monal or TurboIRC 3?

Monal ships an update monthly, and TurboIRC 3 every 6 weeks. Most recently, Monal was updated on October 31, 2026 and TurboIRC 3 on October 23, 2026.

---

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