# Prime DeFi vs Primal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Prime DeFi at none against Primal's 5. Prime DeFi also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Primal's advantage is ratings volume (928 vs 53). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Primal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Prime DeFi asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Prime DeFi against 4.9 for Primal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 928 ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Prime DeFi's written reviews are positive against 87% of Primal's.

Prime DeFi ships an update weekly, Primal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Prime DeFi | Primal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prime-defi/id1661881786/reviews)** | [4.9 (928 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 53 | **928** |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 87.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 132 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [RYDER MEDIA INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1661881788) | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) |

## What reviewers say

### Prime DeFi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prime-defi/id1661881786)

An exclusive, invite-only community focused on achieving financial freedom through decentralized finance. Connect with like-minded individuals, access expert coaches, and participate in exclusive events and live streams to gain valuable knowledge and resources.

**Highlights:** Digital community access, Connect with ambitious peers, Access to experts and coaches, Exclusive events and workshops, Live stream attendance, Course material and articles, On-the-go tools and resources

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Primal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518)

Experience a next-generation social media platform built on Nostr and Bitcoin. Enjoy rich media feeds, long-form articles, and integrated Bitcoin wallet functionality. Discover content easily and authorize other Nostr apps with remote login.

**Highlights:** Rich media feeds with playback, Built-in Bitcoin wallet, Long form articles, Extensive content discovery, Advanced search, Remote Login for Nostr apps, Configurable ambient sounds

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Primal Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Primal Pro Monthly | $69.99 | per month |
| Primal Premium Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| Primal Pro Yearly Subscription | $749.99 | per year |
| Prepaid Nostr Zaps | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 🔒 Secure and private social experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Seamless integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network
- 🤘 Empowering decentralized social media

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🇨🇦 Limited functionality for Canadian users
- 🔍 Lacking advanced search and discovery features
- 🔔 Inconsistent push notification support

**Reported bugs**

- Losing relay connections when switching to desktop
- Issues with account creation and sign-in process
- Inconsistent display of reactions from other Nostr apps

**Requested features**

- Add support for more Nostr reaction types
- Implement robust community/subreddit features
- Improve cache management and clearing options
- Provide better account management and sign-out options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Prime DeFi free?

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

### Is Primal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Prime DeFi or Primal?

Prime DeFi is rated higher. Prime DeFi averages 5.0 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Primal averages 4.9 from 928 ratings.

### Do Prime DeFi or Primal have ads?

Neither Prime DeFi nor Primal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Prime DeFi or Primal?

Prime DeFi ships an update weekly, and Primal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Prime DeFi was updated on October 16, 2026 and Primal on October 15, 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.*