Comparison

Damus vs Dave

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Decentralized social network
  • End-to-end encrypted messaging
  • No registration required
  • Programmable bots integration
  • Lightning tipping for friends
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Dave

Features
Read full description

Dave is a social media app that tries to replicate the instant nature of real life. On other social media app, every post made is set in stone on the internet. On Dave, people can only see your post once and screenshotting it is impossible. Just like in real life, when somebody says something, the thing being said is gone forever and Dave is replicating this experience online. Enjoy Dave !

Screenshots

Damus4 screens
Dave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dave at none against Damus's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Damus versus Dave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDamusDave
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (673 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings673 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB143 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDamus Nostr, IncDavid Chateauvert

Bugs and 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

Dave

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Damus

Subscriptions2
  • Purple$9.991 Month
  • Purple Yearly$99.991 Year
None

Dave

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Damus free?
Damus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dave free?
Dave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Damus or Dave have ads?
Neither Damus nor Dave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Damus or Dave?
Damus ships an update every 2 months, and Dave every 2 months. Most recently, Damus was updated on October 15, 2026 and Dave on October 18, 2026.

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