# Monal

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/monal/

6 people recommended Monal in Hacker News comments and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 6 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free iOS XMPP chat client that people recommend as a good, reliable option for iPhone users. Critics say the user experience is weak.

Summary written by Claude from 8 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Preferred iOS client over alternatives (2 comments in the sample): "I recommend using Monal as an iOS client instead of the Snikket iOS one." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47037081)) "my personal recommendation for iOS" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46957656))
- Works well on iOS (2 comments in the sample): "Last time I used Monal on iOS this was solved and worked well." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49699058)) "Siskin and Monal are good." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49861457))

## What people warn about

- Poor user experience (2 comments in the sample): "the UX for Moanl and Siskin IM leave a lot to be desired" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47036980)) "None of Monal, Siskin or Beagle are a good experience" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49698370))

## What people recommend instead

- [Movim](https://hackerapproved.com/p/movim/): 7 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Monal", https://hackerapproved.com/p/monal/ (6 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.