# Apex vs cetera

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apex at none against cetera's 1. Apex also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). cetera's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 50%) and ratings volume (118 vs 8). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. cetera sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Apex asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Apex against 4.5 for cetera. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: cetera has 118 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Apex's written reviews are positive against 83% of cetera's.

Apex ships an update every 5 days, cetera weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Apex | cetera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apex-private-groups/id1501294998/reviews) | **[4.5 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cetera-social-for-everything/id6446123913/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **118** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **82.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The Apex App, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501294997) | [Delightful Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676112688) |

## What reviewers say

### Apex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apex-private-groups/id1501294998)

Create exclusive, invite-only groups for private conversations. You control who joins and set the rules for your curated space. Supports multiple identities for different social circles.

**Highlights:** Invite-only groups, Curated spaces, Content and member moderation, Private conversations, Multiple identities, Hidden ownership

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### cetera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cetera-social-for-everything/id6446123913)

A social app designed for authentic sharing without the pressure of performance. Post everyday moments, from coffee to thoughts, with customizable privacy and ephemeral options. Connect through comments, chats, and reactions in a space that prioritizes genuine interaction.

**Highlights:** Post with photos, songs, weather, movies, TV, Customizable privacy controls, Ephemeral posts, Comment and private chat options, Emoji reactions, Customizable profiles

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter \| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great community vibes
- 👍 Devs listen and care
- 👍 Simple and personal interface
- 👍 Free from predatory algorithms
- 👍 Cozy and welcoming atmosphere

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Racism and discrimination
- 😞 Cyberbullying and drama
- 😞 Psychotic and delusional users
- 😞 Photo uploads slow
- 😞 No chronological feed for new users

**Reported bugs**

- Photo uploads painfully slow or fail
- App crashes every time it's opened
- Discord button sends to app store
- Nothing loads after trying to log back in
- Server errors when activity is high

**Requested features**

- Add comments feature
- Implement desktop app
- Improve link and image copying/pasting
- Add chronological feed for new users
- Add threads, pinned posts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Apex free?

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

### Is cetera free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Apex or cetera?

cetera is rated higher. Apex averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while cetera averages 4.5 from 118 ratings.

### Do Apex or cetera have ads?

Neither Apex nor cetera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Apex or cetera?

Apex ships an update every 5 days, and cetera weekly. Most recently, Apex was updated on October 8, 2026 and cetera 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.*