# Planetary Social vs Germ DM

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Germ DM at 83% against Planetary Social's 38%. Germ DM also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1). Planetary Social's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). 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.

Germ DM holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Planetary Social's written reviews are positive against 83% of Germ DM's.

Planetary Social ships an update every 9 days, Germ DM every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planetary Social | Germ DM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-social/id1481617318/reviews) | **[4.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/germ-dm/id6446882771/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 53 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Verse Communications Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454907197) | [Germ Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679507064) |

## What reviewers say

### Planetary Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-social/id1481617318)

A peer-to-peer social media platform focused on personal connections and censorship resistance. It prioritizes user ownership of content and relationships, operating without algorithms or advertisements. Compatible with other Secure Scuttlebutt protocol apps, it works both online and offline.

**Highlights:** Peer-to-peer data sharing, Censorship resistant network, User ownership of content, No advertisements or algorithms, Offline and off-grid functionality, Open source, Compatible with Secure Scuttlebutt apps

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Germ DM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/germ-dm/id6446882771)

This app offers end-to-end encrypted private messaging for users of Bluesky and ATProtocol. It prioritizes user control, privacy, and consent, allowing for secure 1:1 chats and temporary contact methods without requiring personal information.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted 1:1 messaging, Connects to ATProtocol accounts, Burner cards for temporary contacts, Authentication of message sources, Mute group conversations by card, No phone number or email required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planetary Social free?

Planetary Social is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Germ DM free?

Germ DM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planetary Social or Germ DM?

Germ DM is rated higher. Planetary Social averages 4.1 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Germ DM averages 4.6 from 19 ratings.

### Do Planetary Social or Germ DM have ads?

Neither Planetary Social nor Germ DM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planetary Social or Germ DM?

Planetary Social ships an update every 9 days, and Germ DM every 10 days. Most recently, Planetary Social was updated on October 26, 2026 and Germ DM on October 24, 2026.

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