AirChat vs Damus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AirChat
Communicate with others nearby using WiFi or Bluetooth, even without an internet connection. Share messages, photos, and engage in group chats or private messages. Enjoy games and utilize multi-window features on your iPad.
- Internet-free messaging
- Photo sharing
- Group and private chats
- In-app games
- iPad multi-window support
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AirChat connects you to people nearby and allows you to send and receive chat messages over WiFi or Bluetooth. Perfect for situations when you have no internet connection, like on a plane or when travelling abroad. Messages are sent directly to each device and encrypted end-to-end, so your privacy is guaranteed. Features: -> Send messages directly to your friends, no internet required -> Send and save photos to your device -> Group chats and private DMs -> Play games with your friends -> Take full advantage of your iPad's screen with multiple windows
Damus
A decentralized social network offering full control over your data and speech. Enjoy end-to-end encrypted messaging, no registration requirements, and seamless integration with bots. Monetize your interactions by tipping friends with lightning.
- Decentralized social network
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- No registration required
- Programmable bots integration
- Lightning tipping for friends
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The social network you control. It's your very own Social Network for your friends or business. Built on open internet protocols, there is no platform that can ban or censor you. You are in control of your data & speech. - Encrypted. End-to-End encrypted private messaging. Keep big tech out of your DMs. - No registration required. Creating an account doesn't require a phone number, email or name. Get started right away with zero friction. - Messages are distributed via decentralized relays. No need to run any infrastructure and there are no single points of failure. Simple! - Programmable. Easily integrate bots that automate your life or business. Get notified when your servers go down, retweet to your team and collaborate in realtime. - Tip your friends and stack sats with lightning. Privacy policy: https://damus.io/privacy-policy.txt Terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Damus at 4.8 against AirChat's 4.3. Damus also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 47%) and ratings volume (673 vs 36). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. AirChat sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Damus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Damus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Damus has 673 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of AirChat's written reviews are positive against 79% of Damus's.
AirChat ships an update every 5 weeks, Damus every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.
| Parameter | AirChat | Damus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (36 ratings) | 4.8 (673 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.4% of reviews | 78.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 36 | 673 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Mark DiFranco | Damus Nostr, Inc |
Customer experience
AirChat
Damus
Bugs and requests
AirChat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Damus
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to post or view content
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
- Issues with connecting to relays
Requested features
4 requests- Add polls and voting features
- Improve search and content discovery
- Implement user-controlled moderation tools
- Add support for more languages
In-app purchases
AirChat
- Game - Word Attack$0.99
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
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- Large Tip$5.99
Damus
- Purple$9.991 Month
- Purple Yearly$99.991 Year
