# Farcaster vs Orb Social on Lens Protocol

Farcaster and Orb Social on Lens Protocol both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Orb Social on Lens Protocol's written reviews are positive against 51% of Farcaster's. Orb Social on Lens Protocol also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Farcaster's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 114) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Farcaster sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Orb Social on Lens Protocol sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Farcaster against 4.7 for Orb Social on Lens Protocol. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Farcaster has 1.1K ratings behind it against 114, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of Farcaster's written reviews are positive against 85% of Orb Social on Lens Protocol's.

Farcaster ships an update every 5 days, Orb Social on Lens Protocol every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Farcaster | Orb Social on Lens Protocol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/farcaster/id1600555445/reviews) | **[4.7 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orb-social-on-lens-protocol/id1638461963/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 114 |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 92 MB | 296 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Merkle Manufactory](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600555567) | [Orb Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632226844) |

## What reviewers say

### Farcaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/farcaster/id1600555445)

A decentralized social network where users control their identity and data. Connect with a global community by creating a profile, posting public messages, and engaging in private conversations. Experience a new way to socialize online.

**Highlights:** Decentralized social network, User-controlled identity, Create public profile, Post public messages, Send private messages, Discover users and profiles

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $1.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $2.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $3.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $5.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $9.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $12.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $18.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $24.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $27.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $36.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $45.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $48.00 | one-time |
| Onchain Gas Fee | $54.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $60.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $72.00 | one-time |
| Warpcast Gas Fee | $80.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth experience
- 🌟 Great community
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🌐 Decentralized social network
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💰 Paid subscription required
- 🤖 Issues with bots/spam
- 🌐 Onboarding challenges
- 🤔 Confusing payment process

**Reported bugs**

- Registration issues
- Inability to upload photos
- Crashes and app instability
- Problems with in-app purchases
- Sync issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Multi-language support
- Improved notifications
- Expanded content sharing options
- Better integration with web3 tools
- Enhanced analytics and metrics


### Orb Social on Lens Protocol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orb-social-on-lens-protocol/id1638461963)

This web3 social application connects users through shared interests via customizable clubs. Engage in authentic conversations, discover content, and curate collections within communities focused on art, gaming, music, NFTs, and more.

**Highlights:** Web3 social networking, Lens Protocol integration, Customizable clubs for interests, Community engagement, Content curation, NFT collection discovery

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 dust | $5.00 | one-time |
| 300 dust | $5.99 | one-time |
| 60 dust | $10.00 | one-time |
| 600 dust | $11.99 | one-time |
| 120 dust | $20.00 | one-time |
| 1200 dust | $23.99 | one-time |
| Badge | $25.00 | one-time |
| 2400 dust | $47.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🌐 Decentralized nature appreciated
- 💡 Innovative Web3 social app
- ✨ Great app design
- 🚀 Smooth user experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Email verification not working
- 🐛 CAPTCHA is impossible/buggy
- 🐛 Account creation/login issues
- 🐛 Profile/handle assigned to wrong wallet
- 🐛 Cannot use without Lens profile

**Reported bugs**

- Email verification loads indefinitely
- Recaptcha is buggy or not intuitive
- Assigned user handle/profile to a different wallet
- Unable to edit or post after profile glitch
- Cannot create a username/account

**Requested features**

- Fix email verification
- Improve CAPTCHA usability
- Allow account creation/login for all users
- Resolve profile/handle assignment bugs
- Enable use without Lens profile


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Farcaster free?

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

### Is Orb Social on Lens Protocol free?

Orb Social on Lens Protocol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Farcaster or Orb Social on Lens Protocol?

Orb Social on Lens Protocol is rated higher. Farcaster averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Orb Social on Lens Protocol averages 4.7 from 114 ratings.

### Do Farcaster or Orb Social on Lens Protocol have ads?

Neither Farcaster nor Orb Social on Lens Protocol shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Farcaster or Orb Social on Lens Protocol?

Farcaster ships an update every 5 days, and Orb Social on Lens Protocol every 3 days. Most recently, Farcaster was updated on September 25, 2026 and Orb Social on Lens Protocol on September 20, 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.*