Comparison

Germ DM vs Skyscraper Social

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

Head to head
About

Germ DM

This app offers end-to-end encrypted private messaging for users of Bluesky and ATProtocol. It prioritizes user control, privacy, and consent, allowing for secure 1:1 chats and temporary contact methods without requiring personal information.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted 1:1 messaging
  • Connects to ATProtocol accounts
  • Burner cards for temporary contacts
  • Authentication of message sources
  • Mute group conversations by card
  • No phone number or email required
Features
Read full description

Connect without oversharing. Start sending private, end-to-end encrypted DMs and voice notes in seconds—no handle or phone number needed. Bluesky user? Sign in with Bluesky, Blacksky, or ATProto to instantly find your mutuals and start DMing from your handle. Build additional burner cards to connect even more privately. Germ DM lets you: - Share 1:1 texts and voice memos with best-in-class privacy - Use our App Clip to skip the App Store when launching chats - Log in with your ATProto account to message with friends from Bluesky, Blacksky, Mu.Social, Skylight, and more. Find your mutuals in Germ or start a chat from your profile on Bluesky and beyond - Build burner cards for friends you’re just getting to know - Authenticate who your messages are coming from - Mute groups of conversations at once by managing notifications by which card you shared Everything in Germ is completely private, and we use the newest technology to keep your secrets safe. No one can access your content except the people you share it with—not even us. Germ is end-to-end encrypted with post-quantum cryptography on the open source standard Messaging Layer Security, and uses on-device transcription for your voice notes. Germ is carefully designed to put you in charge of your data and connections, and will never share your information outside your control. More features are dropping every month, and we want to hear from you! Find us on Bluesky at @germnetwork.com, or visit our website germnetwork.com for more ways to get in touch. Germ Network, Inc. is a proud Public Benefit Corporation.

About

Skyscraper Social

This app offers a unified social media experience, combining feeds from Bluesky and Mastodon. It provides advanced features like cross-posting, custom themes, and a unified timeline across all your devices. Enjoy a seamless and personalized way to view your social web.

Highlights
  • Unified Bluesky & Mastodon feeds
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Custom themes
  • Cross-posting
  • RSS feed integration
  • Post drafts
  • Moderation controls
Features
Read full description

Skyscraper is the Bluesky and Mastodon client that feels like it belongs on your device. Scroll your timeline on your schedule, with scroll position saved across sessions and cloud-synced across your devices. Built from the ground up for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro, Skyscraper is your penthouse view of the social web. Smooth, fast, and thoughtfully designed to match the way you want an app to feel. The Features You Need: • Full Bluesky support, with all the features you would expect from a native app • Mastodon (beta) — your home timeline, notifications, DMs, lists, polls, content warnings and custom emoji, and much more • iCloud sync support keeps your Following feed position in sync across sessions and devices • Custom themes so the app looks and feels the way you want • Available on all of your devices, from your phone to your watch, to your laptop, to your TV, with shared and synced settings • Full timeline with pinned feeds and custom algorithms • Reader — follow RSS feeds, Standard.site publications, Micro.blog and YouTube channels in one place • View Standard.site posts natively in-app • Powerful discovery features with extensive search and trending topics • Post with images, videos, GIFs, and alt text • Direct messages and notifications with optional push alerts • Search posts, users, and hashtags • Moderation controls that put you in charge, with Blocked and Muted Accounts pages • Profile editing and saved posts • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Siri, Shortcuts and Spotlight support • Translated into 30 languages, with full VoiceOver support Power features that set Skyscraper apart: • Multiple Accounts — Switch between accounts instantly • Unified Timeline — Read all your Bluesky and Mastodon accounts in one combined timeline • Cross-Post — Write once, post to several accounts at the same time • Consolidate Accounts — See a cross-posted post only once • RSS Sync — Connect Feedbin, FreshRSS, Inkwell or NewsBlur • Post Drafts — Save ideas for later, and never lose a post to a crash • Account Backup — Export and archive your data • Thread Archival — Share popular threads with friends off Bluesky • Safari Extension — Open bsky.social links directly in Skyscraper • Trending Hashtags — See what's buzzing right now • Replies in Context — See replies in your following feed • Mute Reposts — Silence repost-happy users without unfollowing • Custom Theme Colors — Make the app fit your personality • Post Translation — Read posts in any language • Read Later — Save links to Pinboard and Instapaper • A Real Mac App — Separate windows, right-click menus, menu bar commands and keyboard shortcuts Download Skyscraper and get a better view of the Bluesky. EULA - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Germ DM4 screens
Skyscraper Social4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Germ DM at none against Skyscraper Social's 2. Skyscraper Social's advantage is ratings volume (79 vs 19) and device support (6 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Skyscraper Social sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Germ DM asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Germ DM against 4.4 for Skyscraper Social. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 79 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Germ DM's written reviews are positive against 77% of Skyscraper Social's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Germ DM ships an update every 10 days, Skyscraper Social every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Germ DM versus Skyscraper Social: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGerm DMSkyscraper Social
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19 ratings) — better4.4 (79 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better77.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1979 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS26.018.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB149 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperGerm Inc.Cameron Banga

Customer experience

Germ DM

All ratings19 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Skyscraper Social

All ratings77 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral8.6%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

None

Germ DM

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Skyscraper Social

Subscriptions2
  • Skyscraper Pro - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Skyscraper Pro - Annual7 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Germ DM free?
Germ DM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Skyscraper Social free?
Skyscraper Social is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Germ DM or Skyscraper Social?
Germ DM is rated higher. Germ DM averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Skyscraper Social averages 4.4 from 79 ratings.
Do Germ DM or Skyscraper Social have ads?
Neither Germ DM nor Skyscraper Social shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Germ DM or Skyscraper Social?
Germ DM ships an update every 10 days, and Skyscraper Social every 2 weeks. Most recently, Germ DM was updated on November 3, 2026 and Skyscraper Social on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons