# Primal vs Spells

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spells at none against Primal's 5. Spells also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 87%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Primal's advantage is ratings volume (936 vs 3). On price, rating, 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. Spells asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Primal against 5.0 for Spells. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 936 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Primal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spells's.

Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, Spells weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Primal | Spells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (936 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spells-malleable-group-chat/id6755319232/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **936** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 87.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 140 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) | [wip.llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611108533) |

## 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


### Spells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spells-malleable-group-chat/id6755319232)

This app transforms group chats into dynamic spaces where users can create custom mini-apps, games, and interactive tools without coding. It allows groups to personalize their chat experience and build unique digital artifacts together.

**Highlights:** Create custom mini-apps, Personalize chat appearance, Build interactive tools, No-code creation, Shape group chat space

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Primal free?

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

### Is Spells free?

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

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

Spells is rated higher. Primal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 936 ratings, while Spells averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Primal or Spells have ads?

Neither Primal nor Spells shows ads.

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

Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spells weekly. Most recently, Primal was updated on October 24, 2026 and Spells on October 24, 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.*