Comparison

Primal vs UnionTies

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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

About

UnionTies

Features
Read full description

UnionTies is your local home base: jobs, a neighborhood marketplace, events, a community feed, and people to meet — all in one app. Anyone can join. No invite, no gatekeeping. WHAT YOU CAN DO Jobs Browse local job posts, apply in a tap, and track where you have applied. Great for trades, gigs, and full-time work close to home. Local marketplace Buy and sell with people nearby. Post items, browse listings, filter by category, and message sellers directly. Housing and rooms too. Events See what is happening around you, RSVP, check in when you arrive, and meet people who show up. Community feed Share updates, ask questions, post photos, and follow what people in your area are talking about. Like, comment, and save the stuff worth coming back to. Meet people An optional dating and connections space to meet others nearby, with clear controls over what you share. Messaging Private one-to-one messages with anyone you connect with. Block and report controls are built in. FOR UNION MEMBERS UnionTies started with union workers, and that community is still first-class. Connect your local in Settings to unlock member features: a union-only feed, your local's events and announcements, and member job posts. Linking a union is completely optional — everything else works without it. PRIVACY AND CONTROL You decide what is public. Manage your profile visibility, mute or block anyone, report content, and switch your feed between everyone nearby and your union only. No ads. No selling your data. Download UnionTies and see what is happening around you today.

Screenshots

Primal4 screens
UnionTies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UnionTies at none against Primal's 5. Primal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, UnionTies every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Primal versus UnionTies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrimalUnionTies
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (928 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings928 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB57 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperPrimal Systems Incorporated.UnionTies

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

UnionTies

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Primal

Subscriptions4
  • Primal Premium Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Primal Pro Monthly$69.991 Month
  • Primal Premium Yearly$69.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Primal Pro Yearly Subscription$749.991 Year
One-time1
  • Prepaid Nostr Zaps$4.99
None

UnionTies

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Primal free?
Primal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UnionTies free?
UnionTies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Primal or UnionTies have ads?
Neither Primal nor UnionTies shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Primal or UnionTies?
Primal ships an update every 2 weeks, and UnionTies every 4 months. Most recently, Primal was updated on October 15, 2026 and UnionTies on September 19, 2026.

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