# Germ DM vs Retichat

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Germ DM at 83% against Retichat's 33%. Germ DM also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.9). Retichat's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Germ DM holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Germ DM's written reviews are positive against 33% of Retichat's.

Germ DM ships an update every 10 days, Retichat every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Germ DM | Retichat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/germ-dm/id6446882771/reviews)** | [2.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retichat/id6762225314/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 37 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Germ Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679507064) | [New Endian LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/459947183) |

## What reviewers say

### Germ DM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/germ-dm/id6446882771)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retichat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retichat/id6762225314)

This app provides end-to-end encrypted communication over decentralized networks. It supports store-and-forward propagation and federated nodes for lightweight push notifications. Future updates will include LoRa, group, and channel support.

**Highlights:** End-to-end forward encryption, Decentralized and organization-less, LXMF Store-and-Forward support, RFed federated propagation, Lightweight push notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Germ DM free?

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

### Is Retichat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Germ DM or Retichat?

Germ DM is rated higher. Germ DM averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Retichat averages 2.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Germ DM or Retichat have ads?

Neither Germ DM nor Retichat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Germ DM or Retichat?

Germ DM ships an update every 10 days, and Retichat every 3 days. Most recently, Germ DM was updated on October 24, 2026 and Retichat on October 25, 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.*