Fragrance comparison

Germ vs The Ruler

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 14 Nov 2026 2 ratings analysed

Germ

Kilesa

—0 votes

Rank #78,237 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

1 wins

The Ruler

The Dua Brand

4.002 votes

Rank #67,103 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Ruler takes 1 of 1 categories.

Germ
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character.
The Ruler
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Germ0/1

The Ruler1/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Ruler

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

GermKilesa

The RulerThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 40%Had 20%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

50%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value50

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

green69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

earthy69%

powdery61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

LemonBasilLime

Heart

juniper berryJasmineStonePine

Base

SandalwoodOakmossAmberMusk

Notes

juniper berrySandalwoodTonka BeanClary SagePatchouliBergamotLavenderCardamomOakmossLeatherVetiverCaraway

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesjuniper berry, Sandalwood and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for The Ruler, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#78,237

PerfumerMatsuno Hidenori

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#67,103

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe RulerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Germ by Kilesa is a unisex aromatic woody fragrance built around bright lemon, lime, and basil over a green mineral heart of juniper berry, jasmine, stone, and pine. The dry-down moves into sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, and musk, giving the freshness a warmer, earthier finish. This looks best suited to someone who likes…

Reviews →

The Ruler by The Dua Brand is an aromatic fougere fragrance for men that revisits vintage barbershop traditions from the mid-1980s. It opens with a brisk, herbal punch of lavender, clary sage, basil, and bright lemon, sharpened by spicy caraway and anise. As the opening settles, dry woods take over, bringing cedar, sa…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Do Germ and The Ruler smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include juniper berry, Sandalwood and Oakmoss.

Is Germ or The Ruler better for summer or winter?

The Ruler suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Germ and The Ruler?

Germ has top notes of Lemon, Basil and Lime, heart notes of juniper berry, Jasmine, Stone and Pine, a base of Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Amber and Musk. The Ruler features juniper berry, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Clary Sage and Patchouli.