If you want a Monica alternative that lives natively on your iPhone and Mac, works offline, and doesn't need a server or an account, betterpal is one option. If you want open source, self-hosting, and access from any web browser, Monica is still the stronger choice. This page compares the two honestly so you can pick the one that fits how you actually keep track of people.
Both are personal CRMs: tools for remembering the people in your life, not for managing a sales pipeline. If you're new to the idea, start with what a personal CRM is, or see the wider field in the best personal CRM apps.
What Monica is
Monica is an open-source personal relationship manager that runs as a web application. Its code is on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license, and you can use it two ways:
- Hosted by the Monica team. One paid plan with unlimited contacts, including updates, backups, and email delivery.
- Self-hosted. The software is free; you run it on your own server (a PHP and MySQL stack, with an official Docker image) and pay for your own infrastructure.
Monica has been around since 2017 and goes deep on structured data. According to its README, the current stable version covers relationships between contacts, reminders (including automatic birthday reminders), notes, activities, tasks, gifts given and received, debts, addresses and contact methods, document and photo uploads, tags, multiple users, data import and export, vCard export, an API, and CardDAV/CalDAV support.
A note on mobile: Monica does not currently have an official native phone app. Its earlier iOS and Android apps were removed from the stores, and you use Monica in a browser. The Monica team says a ground-up rebuild is coming before the end of 2026, designed for phones from the start, with native iOS and Android apps to follow. If that ships, parts of this comparison will change.
What betterpal is
betterpal is a native iPhone and Mac app for remembering the people you meet: names, where you met, notes, and the small details that are easy to lose. It sits alongside iPhone Contacts rather than replacing it. There's no betterpal account and no betterpal server. Your data is stored on your device, and if you want your iPhone and Mac in sync, the two share a single vault file in your own iCloud Drive (see betterpal for Mac).
Where Monica is built around structured records, betterpal is built around fast capture. You type a sentence like "Sarah from the coffee shop, graphic designer, loves hiking" into Quick Entry and betterpal pulls out the name and turns the rest into notes. With Quick Capture you can save someone from the Action Button, Back Tap, Siri, or a widget without opening the app at all.
Monica vs betterpal at a glance
| Monica | betterpal | |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | No |
| Self-hosting | Yes, free | No server needed |
| Web browser access | Yes | No |
| Native iPhone app | Not currently | Yes |
| Native Mac app | No (web) | Yes, free |
| Android | Via browser | Coming soon |
| Works offline | No (server app) | Yes |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Where data lives | Monica's or your server | Your device + your iCloud |
| Relationships between people | Yes | Yes, with family tree |
| Reminders | Yes (email) | Yes (push notifications) |
| Gifts, debts, tasks, activities | Yes | No |
| Multiple users | Yes | No |
| API, CardDAV/CalDAV | Yes | No |
| One-sentence capture | Not listed | Yes |
| Network graph and map | Not listed | Yes |
| Name recall quiz | Not listed | Yes |
| Export | Yes, incl. vCard | JSON; CSV on Mac |
| Price | $9/mo hosted; self-host free | Free tier; Pro $2.99/mo, $19.99/yr, or $39.99 lifetime |
Pricing and features checked September 2026. Sources: Monica's pricing page and GitHub README. Products change, so check their sites before you decide.
Pricing
Monica: hosted Monica is $9 USD per month or $90 per year (as of September 2026), with unlimited contacts and a 30-day trial that doesn't need a credit card. Self-hosting the open-source version costs nothing for the software; you pay for and maintain the server. See Monica's pricing page.
betterpal: free to download on iPhone. The free tier includes the core features with a cap on the number of pals; betterpal Pro removes the cap for $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $39.99 once as a lifetime license. The Mac app is a free download and fully unlocked, with subscriptions handled in the iPhone app.
Where Monica is the better choice
- Open source and self-hosting. You can read the code, run it on your own hardware, and never depend on a company staying in business. betterpal is not open source.
- Any device with a browser. Monica works on Windows, Linux, Android, or a work laptop. betterpal needs an iPhone or a Mac.
- Depth of fields. Gifts, debts, tasks, activities, multiple addresses and contact methods, documents: Monica has a place for all of it. betterpal keeps a lighter profile of notes, tags, relationships, photo, birthday, and location.
- Sharing and integrations. Multiple users, an API, and CardDAV/CalDAV let Monica plug into other tools. betterpal has none of these.
Where betterpal is the better choice
- Native iPhone and Mac apps. Widgets, Siri, the Action Button, Lock Screen capture, a sortable table and keyboard shortcuts on the Mac.
- Capture in seconds. One sentence becomes a person plus notes, and entries wait as "unprocessed" until you have a minute to sort them. That matters most at the moment you actually meet someone, which is usually not at a desk.
- Local-first without running a server. betterpal works fully offline, needs no account, and has no betterpal servers. You get the privacy people often self-host Monica for, without maintaining PHP, MySQL, backups, and updates.
- Built for remembering, not just recording. A recall quiz tests you on names from your own notes, and the network view and map show how and where people connect.
Who should choose which
Choose Monica if…
- You want open-source software you can audit, fork, or self-host.
- You use Android, Windows, or Linux, or need access from any browser.
- You like detailed records: gifts, debts, tasks, activity logs.
- You want to share with another person or connect other tools through an API or CardDAV.
Choose betterpal if…
- You live on an iPhone (and maybe a Mac) and want a native app, not a browser tab.
- Your main problem is forgetting names and details right after meeting people, so fast capture matters more than detailed fields.
- You want your data private and offline-capable, but you don't want to run a server.
- You'd rather have a light system you keep using than a thorough one you abandon. Our guide to notes on people you know covers what's worth writing down.
Common questions
Is there a Monica CRM app for iPhone?
Not an official one right now. Monica's earlier mobile apps were removed from the App Store and Play Store, and you use Monica in a web browser. The Monica team says native iOS and Android apps will follow its rebuilt version, which it expects before the end of 2026.
Is Monica free?
The self-hosted version is free and open source, but you run and pay for the server. Hosted Monica was $9 per month or $90 per year as of September 2026, with a 30-day trial.
Can I move my data from Monica to betterpal?
Not directly. betterpal doesn't document an importer for Monica. Its import options are linking or importing people from your iPhone Contacts and restoring betterpal's own JSON backups. Monica can export contacts as vCards, which you can add to iPhone Contacts and then import into betterpal; notes would need to be copied over by hand.
Does betterpal work without an internet connection?
Yes. betterpal stores your data on your device and works offline. An internet connection is only involved if you turn on iPhone and Mac sync through your own iCloud Drive.