# Primal vs SwiPaws

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SwiPaws at none against Primal's 5. Primal's advantage is ratings volume (936 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). 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. SwiPaws 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 SwiPaws. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primal has 936 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Primal | SwiPaws |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (936 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primal/id1673134518/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swipaws/id6780434135/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **936** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 140 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Primal Systems Incorporated.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134521) | [FREDERICK DECLAN JOLOWSKI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780208498) |

## 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


### SwiPaws

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swipaws/id6780434135)

Connect with nearby dog owners and their pets for playdates. Build profiles for yourself and your dog, swipe to find matches, and chat to plan meetups. Features a special mode for shy or reactive pups.

**Highlights:** Dog and owner profiles, Swipe-based matching, In-app chat for planning, Training Mode for shy dogs, Filter by dog size and personality, Safety features and reporting tools

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Primal free?

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

### Is SwiPaws free?

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

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

SwiPaws is rated higher. Primal averages 4.9 out of 5 from 936 ratings, while SwiPaws averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Primal or SwiPaws have ads?

Neither Primal nor SwiPaws shows ads.

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

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