Primal vs bitchat mesh
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Primal
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.
- 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
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Next generation social media powered by Nostr and Bitcoin. Primal features rich feeds with media playback, built-in wallet, long form articles, extensive content discovery, advanced search. Primal can also be used to authorize activity in compatible Nostr apps using Remote Login. During an active remote session, Primal can play user-configurable ambient sounds that continue while the app is in the background. Our terms of use are available at: http://primal.net/terms
bitchat mesh
Connect with people nearby without needing personal contact information. This app facilitates private, encrypted group chats using Bluetooth mesh technology, making it ideal for local communication without internet access.
- Local Bluetooth mesh chat
- No internet required
- Encrypted private messages
- Relays messages for range
- Sidegroupchat functionality
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chat with people around you. don't need their phone # or email. the sidegroupchat for any function. uses bluetooth mesh, no internet needed. relays messages to go the distance! encrypted private messages.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: bitchat mesh at none against Primal's 5. bitchat mesh also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Primal's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (88% vs 80%). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Primal sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. bitchat mesh asks for nothing beyond the download.
Primal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 928 and 510 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Primal's written reviews are positive against 80% of bitchat mesh's.
Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, bitchat mesh every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Primal | bitchat mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (928 ratings) — better | 4.7 (510 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews — better | 79.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 928 — better | 510 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 156 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Primal Systems Incorporated. | permissionless tech, llc |
Customer experience
Primal
bitchat mesh
User reviews
Primal
From 928 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 🔒 Secure and private social experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Seamless integration with Bitcoin Lightning Network
- 🤘 Empowering decentralized social media
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🇨🇦 Limited functionality for Canadian users
- 🔍 Lacking advanced search and discovery features
- 🔔 Inconsistent push notification support
bitchat mesh
From 510 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Modern, efficient offline communication
- 🔒 Secure and private messaging
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Useful for areas with poor internet connectivity
- 👍 Innovative use of Bluetooth for decentralized network
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable message delivery and sync issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on certain devices
- 🔒 Concerns about long-term privacy and security
Bugs and requests
Primal
Reported bugs
3 issues- 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
4 requests- 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
bitchat mesh
Reported bugs
2 issues- Typing input field issues on Mac
- Notifications not working consistently on iOS
Requested features
5 requests- Drawing/sketching feature like Pictochat
- Customizable themes and UI options
- Ability to filter messages by favorites or verified users
- Support for file sharing and image transfer
- Integration with cryptocurrency/Bitcoin payments
In-app purchases
Primal
- Primal Premium Monthly$6.991 Month
- Primal Pro Monthly$69.991 Month
- Primal Premium Yearly$69.991 Year
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- Primal Pro Yearly Subscription$749.991 Year
- Prepaid Nostr Zaps$4.99
bitchat mesh
No in-app purchases
