Monal vs DatChat
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
DatChat
This app offers a private social network and messenger with self-destructing, screenshot-protected, and end-to-end encrypted posts and messages. Users can control messages even after sending, create private social groups, and secure photos with advanced encryption.
- Self-destructing messages and posts
- Screenshot protection with notifications
- End-to-end encrypted communication
- Nuke conversations to erase both sides
- Private social groups
- Multiple accounts
- Encrypted hidden photo storage
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DatChat is a private social networking app and messenger that protects your privacy with self-destructing, screenshot protected, encrypted posts and messages. Get the security you deserve. Keep your messages and social posts private, secure, and out of the wrong hands. Our proprietary anti-screenshot protection makes it nearly impossible for others to screenshot messages, posts, or comments - and you will receive a notification that they even tried. Every message you send has an end-to-end encrypted connection. Control over messages doesn’t stop after you hit send - now you have control even after they are sent. “Nuke” conversations on both the sender and recipient’s devices to protect your privacy. You can also unsend messages with ease. Messages will vanish without trace when they reach view limits or are manually destructed. Using DatChat is like having your own private social network. Create Social Groups where only you and the friends you invite to the group can post, comment, and like. Have as many accounts as you like, with whatever friends and family you want. Secure, private messages and pictures are only visible when logged into that respective account. Only your profile picture is available for anyone to view on DatChat. All other photos and information are in a private camera roll, hidden and encrypted behind other pictures. Never worry about picture security again. Download DatChat today and enjoy free, private, and secure social networking. DATCHAT FEATURES: Free, Secure Messaging: - Private messenger protects your privacy - Propriety anti-screenshot protection makes it nearly impossible to screenshot a message, post, or comment - Receive notifications when someone attempts to screenshot messages, photos, or videos - Only the sender & intended recipients can view messages - they cannot be forwarded to others - Every message has an end-to-end encrypted connection Post-Send Control: - Control what happens to messages even after you send them - Self-destructing messages & posts protect your privacy - “Nuke” messages & completely eradicate both sides of a conversation, comments, and more - Messages & posts vanish without a trace when they reach a view limit or are manually destructed Secure Social Networking: - Create Social Groups where only you & your invited friends can post, comment, and like - Group & individual conversations available - Multiple accounts for different friends: messages are visible when logged into that respective account Picture Privacy: - Only the cover photo can be seen in plain sight - Senders can hide pictures and information on the camera roll, hidden & encrypted behind other pictures Download DatChat now to start sending secure, private messages. __ We now offer DatChat Pro at three membership tiers: - Monthly: $0.99, renews every month - Yearly: $9.99, renews annually - Lifetime: $24.99, one-time purchase good for the life of your account DatChat Pro is an optional subscription service that unlocks new features and removes existing limitations. Subscriptions are offered on a monthly, yearly, and lifetime basis. Monthly subscriptions will renew every month for $0.99. Yearly subscriptions will renew annually for $9.99. A lifetime subscription is a one-time payment of $24.99 that does not renew and will upgrade your status to Pro for the lifetime of your account. Prices may vary by location. Any portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Subscriptions are charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Manage your subscription in Account Settings after purchase. Monthly and Yearly subscriptions must be canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period to prevent an auto-renewal. Once purchased, refunds will not be given for any unused portion of the term. Terms of Service: http://www.datchat.net/terms Privacy Policy: http://www.datchat.net/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DatChat at 4.8 against Monal's 3.7. DatChat also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Monal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. DatChat sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Monal asks for nothing beyond the download.
DatChat holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DatChat has 942 ratings behind it against 142, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Monal's written reviews are positive against 91% of DatChat's.
Monal ships an update monthly, DatChat every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Monal | DatChat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (142 ratings) | 4.8 (942 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | 90.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 142 | 942 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Molitor und Dietzel, Inh. Thilo Molitor | Myseum, Inc. |
Customer experience
Monal
DatChat
User reviews
Monal
From 142 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
DatChat
From 942 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 Privacy and security
- 🚀 Innovative features
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Blockchain technology
- 🔒 Anti-screenshot protection
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔧 Needs more feature development
- 👎 Dated UI design
- 🔍 Difficulty finding recent messages
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
DatChat
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login screen freezes
- Inconsistent message delivery
- Notifications not always working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Video chat functionality
- Ability to like/react to messages
- Improved message search and sorting
- Customizable notification settings
- Integration with other platforms
In-app purchases
Monal
No in-app purchases
DatChat
- Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
- Pro (Yearly)$9.991 Year
- Remain Anonymous$1.99
- DatChat Pro Lifetime$24.99








