Comparison

Papachat vs nost

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

Head to head
About

Papachat

Features
Read full description

PapaChat is a private messaging app for closed communities. Create or join a community, chat with members in groups or direct messages, and manage everything with a clean, distraction-free interface. COMMUNITIES - Create a community for your family, team, or group - Invite members with shareable invite codes (24-hour expiry) - Search and request to join existing communities - Admin tools: approve/reject join requests, remove members, create groups - Leave a community anytime β€” admin role auto-transfers to the next member GROUP & DIRECT MESSAGING - Real-time group chat β€” every community gets a General group automatically - Direct messages β€” tap any member in the People directory to start a private conversation - Read receipts β€” double blue checkmarks when your message is read - Message reactions β€” long-press to react with emoji - Reply to messages β€” swipe to quote and respond - Delete your own messages β€” a placeholder preserves conversation context - Archive chats to tidy up without losing history ADMIN & MODERATION - Delete any message in your community - Mute disruptive members (timed or indefinite) - Transfer or share admin role with co-admins - Require approval for group joins - Audit log tracks all moderation actions - Export conversations as PDF for evidence or records PEOPLE DIRECTORY - See all community members at a glance - Admin badges show who manages the community - Search by name or @username - Tap to start a direct conversation PRIVACY BY DESIGN - Sign in with Apple β€” no phone number or email required - No access to your contacts, location, or files - No ads, no tracking, no data selling - Server-side security rules enforce access control - All data encrypted in transit BUILT FOR SIMPLICITY PapaChat keeps messaging simple. No stories, no reels, no marketplace β€” just communities and conversations.

About

nost

Features
Read full description

nost is a privacy-first communication app built for secure, simple, and reliable conversations. Private messages and one-to-one voice calls are protected with end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Your conversations stay on your devicesβ€”not on our servers. Encrypted messages are temporarily stored only while awaiting delivery and are removed from the server after they have been delivered or read. Key Features β€’ End-to-end encrypted one-to-one and group messaging β€’ Hybrid post-quantum encryption (PQC) for enhanced long-term security β€’ Secure end-to-end encrypted one-to-one voice calls β€’ Murmur, a public community for sharing short posts and connecting with people around the world β€’ On-device translation for Murmur posts and comments in supported languages β€’ Photos, videos, voice messages, files, stickers, reactions, replies, and message forwarding β€’ Sign in with Google, Sign in with Apple, or email β€’ nost Mode – automatically deletes messages within 5 minutes after they have been viewed Privacy First nost is designed to minimize the amount of personal data stored on servers. Your private conversations remain on your devices, while encrypted messages exist on our servers only temporarily for delivery before being removed. Privacy is not just a featureβ€”it’s the foundation of nost. Your conversations belong only to you.

Screenshots

Papachat4 screens
nost3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: nost at every 5 days against Papachat's monthly. nost also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Papachat ships an update monthly, nost every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Papachat versus nost: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPapachatnost
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.216.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size40 MB131 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperRaphael MolineSUNGDO PARK

In-app purchases

None

Papachat

No in-app purchases

None

nost

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Papachat free?
Papachat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is nost free?
nost is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Papachat or nost have ads?
Neither Papachat nor nost shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Papachat or nost?
Papachat ships an update monthly, and nost every 5 days. Most recently, Papachat was updated on October 28, 2026 and nost on October 28, 2026.

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