# APPICS vs Primal

The clearest difference is rating: Primal at 4.9 against APPICS's 4.0. Primal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (928 vs 14). APPICS's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. APPICS sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Primal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Primal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 928 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of APPICS's written reviews are positive against 88% of Primal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

APPICS ships an update every 3 weeks, Primal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | APPICS | Primal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appics/id1353860042/reviews) | **[4.9 (928 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **928** |
| Positive reviews | **89.7% of reviews** | 88.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 207 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [APPICS AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1353860041) | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) |

## What reviewers say

### APPICS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appics/id1353860042)

This app rewards users for their time and contributions to social media through a decentralized system. Share photos and short videos, engage with content through upvotes and comments, and earn tokens that can be exchanged or staked. The more active you are, the greater your influence and rewards.

**Highlights:** Decentralized contribution-reward-system, Earn APX tokens for content and upvotes, Share photos and short videos, Upvote and comment on content, In-app wallet for token management, Stake tokens to increase voting power

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| variable_229_99 | $229.99 | one-time |
| variable_239_99 | $239.99 | one-time |
| variable_249_99 | $249.99 | one-time |
| variable_399_99 | $399.99 | one-time |
| variable_499_99 | $499.99 | one-time |
| variable_599_99 | $599.99 | one-time |
| variable_699_99 | $699.99 | one-time |
| variable_799_99 | $799.99 | one-time |
| variable_899_99 | $899.99 | one-time |
| variable_999_99 | $999.99 | one-time |


### Primal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518)

Experience a next-generation social media platform built on Nostr and Bitcoin. Enjoy rich media feeds, long-form articles, and integrated Bitcoin wallet functionality. Discover content easily and authorize other Nostr apps with remote login.

**Highlights:** Rich media feeds with playback, Built-in Bitcoin wallet, Long form articles, Extensive content discovery, Advanced search, Remote Login for Nostr apps, Configurable ambient sounds

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Primal Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Primal Pro Monthly | $69.99 | per month |
| Primal Premium Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| Primal Pro Yearly Subscription | $749.99 | per year |
| Prepaid Nostr Zaps | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 🔒 Secure and private social experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Seamless integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network
- 🤘 Empowering decentralized social media

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🇨🇦 Limited functionality for Canadian users
- 🔍 Lacking advanced search and discovery features
- 🔔 Inconsistent push notification support

**Reported bugs**

- Losing relay connections when switching to desktop
- Issues with account creation and sign-in process
- Inconsistent display of reactions from other Nostr apps

**Requested features**

- Add support for more Nostr reaction types
- Implement robust community/subreddit features
- Improve cache management and clearing options
- Provide better account management and sign-out options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is APPICS free?

APPICS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Primal free?

Primal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, APPICS or Primal?

Primal is rated higher. APPICS averages 4.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Primal averages 4.9 from 928 ratings.

### Do APPICS or Primal have ads?

APPICS shows ads; Primal does not.

### Which is updated more often, APPICS or Primal?

APPICS ships an update every 3 weeks, and Primal every 2 weeks. Most recently, APPICS was updated on September 19, 2026 and Primal on September 27, 2026.

---

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