# Primal vs Nostrmo

The clearest difference is rating: Primal at 4.9 against Nostrmo's 4.5. Primal also leads on ratings volume (928 vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Nostrmo's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Primal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Nostrmo sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Primal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 928 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of Primal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Nostrmo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, Nostrmo every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Primal | Nostrmo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (928 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews)** | [4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostrmo/id6447441761/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **928** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 156 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) | [荣庄 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538534798) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Nostrmo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nostrmo/id6447441761)

This open-source client allows you to control your social media account using a Nostr key. It offers a decentralized approach, requiring no personal phone number or other sensitive information for account management.

**Highlights:** Open-source protocol, Nostr key account control, No personal information required, Decentralized social networking, Cross-device support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy me two coffee | $5.99 | one-time |
| Buy me five coffee | $14.99 | one-time |
| Buy me ten coffee | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Primal free?

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

### Is Nostrmo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Primal or Nostrmo?

Primal is rated higher. Primal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 928 ratings, while Nostrmo averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Primal or Nostrmo have ads?

Neither Primal nor Nostrmo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Primal or Nostrmo?

Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nostrmo every 5 weeks. Most recently, Primal was updated on October 15, 2026 and Nostrmo on October 7, 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.*