# Damus vs Pixelfed

The clearest difference is rating: Damus at 4.8 against Pixelfed's 4.2. Damus also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 49%). Pixelfed's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Damus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Pixelfed asks for nothing beyond the download.

Damus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 675 and 546 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Damus's written reviews are positive against 49% of Pixelfed's.

Damus ships an update every 2 months, Pixelfed every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Damus | Pixelfed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (675 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/damus/id1628663131/reviews)** | [4.2 (546 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfed/id1632519816/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **675** | 546 |
| Positive reviews | **78.0% of reviews** | 48.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 98 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Damus Nostr, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510689510) | [Daniel Supernault](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632519818) |

## What reviewers say

### Damus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/damus/id1628663131)

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.

**Highlights:** Decentralized social network, End-to-end encrypted messaging, No registration required, Programmable bots integration, Lightning tipping for friends

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purple | $9.99 | per month |
| Purple Yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Censorship-resistant
- 💰 Bitcoin/Lightning integration
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 🌐 Decentralized protocol

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited search/discovery features
- 💬 Lack of moderation tools

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to post or view content
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
- Issues with connecting to relays

**Requested features**

- Add polls and voting features
- Improve search and content discovery
- Implement user-controlled moderation tools
- Add support for more languages


### Pixelfed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfed/id1632519816)

Share your photography with a community that values creativity, authenticity, and privacy. This app offers an ethical alternative to mainstream social media, giving users control over their content and data.

**Highlights:** Ad-free photo sharing, Privacy-focused, User content control, Authentic community, Ethical social media alternative

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Decentralized and privacy-focused
- 👍 Clean, simple, and familiar interface
- 👍 Chronological feed without algorithms
- 👍 Ad-free experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy performance
- 🐛 Inability to edit bio and profile
- 🐛 Inconsistent slideshow and media handling
- 🐛 Slow server response times
- 🐛 Logging out issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to post photos or send DMs
- Inconsistent heart/like behavior
- Crashes and freezes on app launch
- Incompatibility with certain servers

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Video support
- Improved collections/albums management
- Seamless onboarding and server selection
- Better notifications and interaction tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Damus free?

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

### Is Pixelfed free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Damus or Pixelfed?

Damus is rated higher. Damus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 675 ratings, while Pixelfed averages 4.2 from 546 ratings.

### Do Damus or Pixelfed have ads?

Neither Damus nor Pixelfed shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Damus or Pixelfed?

Damus ships an update every 2 months, and Pixelfed every 3 weeks. Most recently, Damus was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pixelfed on September 22, 2026.

---

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