# Nos Social vs Primal

The clearest difference is rating: Primal at 4.9 against Nos Social's 4.0. Primal also leads on ratings volume (937 vs 3). Nos Social's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Primal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 937 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nos Social ships an update monthly, Primal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nos Social | Primal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nos-social/id1670125746/reviews) | **[4.9 (937 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **937** |
| Positive reviews | — | 87.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 140 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Verse Communications Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454907197) | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) |

## What reviewers say

### Nos Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nos-social/id1670125746)

Connect with others in safe, supportive online communities focused on shared interests and social change. This app fosters authentic connections and sustainable relationships through a decentralized protocol, giving you ownership of your account and feed.

**Highlights:** Create and discover communities, Discuss shared interests, Drive social change, Make new friends, Decentralized protocol (Nostr), Own your account, feed, and connections

**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 Nos Social free?

Nos Social 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, Nos Social or Primal?

Primal is rated higher. Nos Social averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Primal averages 4.9 from 937 ratings.

### Do Nos Social or Primal have ads?

Neither Nos Social nor Primal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nos Social or Primal?

Nos Social ships an update monthly, and Primal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Nos Social was updated on October 12, 2026 and Primal on October 30, 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.*