# BuyNothing — Hyper Local Community Sharing

> Hyper-local community sharing platform for gifting, borrowing, and building connections. (iPhone/iPad app by Buy Nothing Project, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Buy Nothing Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557679961)
- Category: Social Networking
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 2,068 App Store ratings · 383 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 64 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-06-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews.md

## What is BuyNothing?

We offer people a way to give, receive, share, lend, borrow and express gratitude through a hyper-local gift economy model in which people can share wherever they are and true wealth is measured by the web of connections formed between people through sharing. 

From the founders of the BuyNothing® Project.
Terms of Use: https://buynothingproject.org/terms

## Key features

- Give and receive items locally
- Lend and borrow goods
- Hyper-local community sharing
- Gift economy model
- Build community connections
- Express gratitude

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sustaining Member | $49.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $6.99 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $54.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $5.49 | per month |


## Chart rankings

- #191 in Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

## What do users think of BuyNothing?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 🤝 Friendly community interactions
- ♻️ Promotes sustainability and reducing waste
- 🌍 Global reach beyond local groups
- 🏠 Hyper-local focus when set up properly
- 📦 Smooth gifting and receiving process

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
- 📍 Difficulty filtering for local posts
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 💬 Inconsistent notifications and messaging
- 💰 Paywall for key features

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login issues and inability to reset passwords
- Inconsistent location settings and radius
- Unreliable notifications and messaging
- Inability to edit or update posts

**Most requested features**

- Search function to find specific posts
- Ability to edit and update posts
- Improved organization and sorting of posts
- Syncing across multiple devices
- More robust moderation and community tools

## Recent user reviews (10 of 383)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews.md

### 2/5 — I really want to use this app

*2026-08-19, version 3.1.4*

I keep seeing bug fixes, but after contacting the company and installing the updates, I am still unable to type a message on this app. As soon as I bring up the keyboard, it covers the words I am writing. So basically I am writing blind. Almost unusable as is. I have a lot of things I want to get rid of but just can’t with this app.

### 5/5 — Update

*2026-08-18, version 3.1.4*

Works really well now! After the rocky update and redesign I’m loving it.

### 1/5 — can not get into it!

*2026-08-05, version 3.1.3*

I used to use this app regularly. When I tried to log on today, I had to ask for a security code and when I typed it in, there was no way to go to the next page. On one of my earlier attempts, I got Capcha pages that I clicked and again, there was no way to click to the next page!  I made my text smaller.  Same problem. I reloaded the whole app. Still could not get in.  very disappointing.

### 1/5 — Difficult to navigate; many items abandoned

*2026-07-29, version 3.1.2*

This app is confusing to navigate. Tried many times to respond to an inquiry about my post, unsuccessful. Looked at many items that I was interested in, and all ended with a comment asking if they could see it, then nothing for  like years. I assume the giver failed to close it out, and the App maker failed to observe this.

### 2/5 — Location

*2026-07-25, version 3.1.1*

So I used the app for the first time in awhile and it won’t let me change my location at all, I went everywhere and it’s not even an option unless I upgrade to premium which sucks because I moved across the country. Idk if it’s a me problem but no matter what I clicked or did it wouldn’t let me.

### 2/5 — Nice concept, app sucks

*2026-07-24, version 3.1.1*

I like BuyNothing for the concept, but the poor functionality of the app is a deterrent and makes me re-delete it. Idk why it constantly cant find a login. The app has login failed for every login option and isnt sending email codes. Yet browser works fine. In fact, this started happening when I went to screen record tapping 15-20 times to open anything listing. I cant ever see the text im typing. The text box doesnt exist. Impossible to edit. So if you tap to try and send your comment, sometimes you tap away. Its just awful. On Iphone 14.

### 1/5 — Must tap multiple times and quadruple pings

*2026-07-22, version 3.1.1*

It pings me 4 times for each notification in rapid succession, and I have to keep tapping for several minutes to get the listing to open, it’s very buggy and as a programmer myself I find it hard to believe this isn’t deliberate

### 1/5 — Can’t Create an Account

*2026-07-19, version 3.1.1*

Can’t create an account, can’t sign in, in an endless loop. Garbage.

### 3/5 — Interesting, but got paper cuts

*2026-07-14, version 3.1.1*

The app brings a lot of what I’m looking for but it also has some annoying parts. Even when I select a radius of <1 mile I see posts coming from a different city that is around 400km away. When I tap the title of a post, it doesn’t do anything; have to tap the image to see the post. Overall clunky UX, but usable.

### 2/5 — Great concept but almost unusable in iPhone

*2026-07-13, version 3.1.1*

I love the concept of this — giving and receiving items to neighbors. However, the app makes it almost impossible to do certain things. For example, the message feature doesn’t work correctly. There is no way to send a message because the keyboard covers the window so I can’t see what I’m typing. I also cannot hit the submit button because it won’t let me scroll down. I was able to get everything working on my computer, but it is disappointing that this doesn’t work well enough to use on the phone.

## Frequently asked questions about BuyNothing

### What is the BuyNothing app?

The BuyNothing app facilitates a hyper-local gift economy model. It allows users to give, receive, share, lend, and borrow items within their immediate community, fostering connections through sharing.

### How does the gift economy work on this app?

The app operates on a gift economy principle where items are given freely without expectation of return. True wealth is measured by the network of connections formed through these acts of sharing and generosity.

### Is the app free to use?

The app is free to download and use. However, it does offer in-app purchases, and may also display advertisements.

### What kind of items can I share or borrow?

You can share, lend, borrow, or receive a wide variety of items within your local community. The focus is on enabling neighbors to help each other by sharing what they have in excess or need.

### Who is the BuyNothing app for?

This app is designed for people who want to participate in a more sustainable lifestyle, reduce consumption, save money, and build stronger relationships with their neighbors by sharing resources.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.1.4 — 2026-08-17

Bug fixes and performance improvemens

### 3.1.3 — 2026-07-31

• Your impact cards now stay on the dashboard instead of disappearing when the app opens.
• Links from our emails now open the right screen in the app.
• Various small fixes and polish.

### 3.1.2 — 2026-07-26

• See what you're chatting about — messages now show a card for the post you're interested in (or that someone wants from you), with quick actions right in the conversation
• Post titles are now tappable everywhere — tap the title or the photo to open a post
• Smoother posting — the post creation flow got a cleaner, full-width layout and squashed several UI bugs
• Editing a Tip or Update post now keeps your original settings, including the community it was shared with
• No more duplicate "item shipped" messages, and marking a gift completed is much faster
• A refreshed, easier report flow
• Archived communities no longer appear in your community lists
• Dark mode and color fixes throughout, including location settings

### 3.1.1 — 2026-07-08

• Improved Saved Searches — edit searches, better match alerts, and clearer locations
• Clearer sign-in and password-reset messages, plus we now show how you signed up
• You can now edit your Profile Wishlist
• Impact Dashboard now groups by category and shows the correct location
• Updated the look of location sharing in messages
• Various fixes and polish

### 3.1.0 — 2026-06-12

• See your wishlist right on your profile page
• New Saved Searches screen showing your wishlist and search alerts in one place
• Get push and in-app notifications when a new post matches your saved search
• New community impact dashboard for subscribers
• Improved dark mode in the posting flow

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*
