Comparison

Grain Social vs Wave

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

Head to head
About

Grain Social

This photo-first social app allows users to post galleries with titles, descriptions, and locations, and share temporary 24-hour stories. It offers various feed options including following, curated, camera-based, and location-based browsing. Users can sign in with their existing Bluesky account.

Highlights
  • Photo galleries with titles and descriptions
  • 24-hour disappearing stories
  • Multiple feed options (following, curated, camera, location)
  • Location-based browsing with maps
  • Bluesky account integration
  • Alt text for photos
  • EXIF data preservation
Features
Read full description

Grain is a photo-first social app. Post galleries, share 24-hour stories, and browse feeds by following, For You, camera, or location. Galleries One photo or a full set. Each gallery has a title, description, and location. Add alt text on individual photos. EXIF is read from the file and kept intact. Stories Share something in the moment. Stories disappear after 24 hours. Favorite and comment the same as on galleries. Feeds Pin the ones you want: following, For You, by camera body, or by location with a map. Mentions, hashtags, links @mention people, add #hashtags, paste links. All tappable. Sign in with your Bluesky account No new password. Your Bluesky handle and followers come with you. People who follow you on Bluesky can find you on Grain, and the people you already follow are here too. Don't have a Bluesky account? Make one at bsky.app, then sign in.

About

Wave

A privacy-focused messaging app offering end-to-end encrypted chats without requiring sign-ups or personal information. It utilizes a decentralized network for enhanced user control and supports both one-to-one and group conversations.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encryption
  • No sign-up required
  • Decentralized network
  • One-to-one and group chats
  • Optional Bluesky integration
  • Ad-free and tracker-free
Features
Read full description

Wave: Secure Messaging Wave is a privacy-first messaging app built for people who value security, simplicity, and control. Chat freely without signing up, sharing personal details, or trusting centralized servers. You can start messaging instantly. Wave uses end-to-end encryption, ensuring only you and the people you’re chatting with can read messages. Conversations are encrypted on your device and decrypted only by recipients. Powered by XMTP, Wave is built on a decentralized messaging network reducing reliance on central servers and giving users more control over their conversations. Wave supports fast one-to-one messaging and secure group conversations in a clean, minimal interface with no clutter or distractions. You can optionally connect your Bluesky account to message people you already know, or simply use Wave on its own without linking any account. Wave is designed with privacy at its core, with end-to-end encrypted messages, a privacy-first architecture, and no ads or trackers.

Screenshots

Grain Social4 screens
Wave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Grain Social at every 2 days against Wave's every 4 weeks. Wave's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Grain Social against 5.0 for Wave. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grain Social ships an update every 2 days, Wave every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Grain Social versus Wave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrain SocialWave
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB149 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperChad MillerSimhadri Bogula

Customer experience

Grain Social

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Wave

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Grain Social

No in-app purchases

None

Wave

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Grain Social free?
Grain Social is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wave free?
Wave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Grain Social or Wave?
Grain Social and Wave are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Grain Social or Wave have ads?
Neither Grain Social nor Wave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grain Social or Wave?
Grain Social ships an update every 2 days, and Wave every 4 weeks. Most recently, Grain Social was updated on September 17, 2026 and Wave on September 6, 2026.

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