# Fishbowl vs CAPTIVATE!

The clearest difference is monetization model: CAPTIVATE! at free against Fishbowl's free with in-app purchases. CAPTIVATE! also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 19%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Fishbowl's advantage is ratings volume (23K vs 339). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CAPTIVATE! holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fishbowl has 23K ratings behind it against 339, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Fishbowl's written reviews are positive against 40% of CAPTIVATE!'s.

Fishbowl ships an update every 2 months, CAPTIVATE! every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fishbowl | CAPTIVATE! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishbowl-professional-network/id1005070636/reviews) | **[4.8 (339 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captivate/id1188466419/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 339 |
| Positive reviews | 19.3% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 90 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fishbowl Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005070635) | [Modern Message](https://appshunter.io/developer/953289870) |

## What reviewers say

### Fishbowl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishbowl-professional-network/id1005070636)

Connect with verified professionals in industry-specific groups for genuine conversations and career advice. Discover new jobs, get referrals, and stay updated on what colleagues are discussing in a remote-first environment.

**Highlights:** Industry, Community, and Company Bowls (Groups), Real-time industry and profession feed, Direct messaging and networking, Job discovery and referral opportunities, Verified professional connections, Career advice and insights

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great way to connect with professionals
- 💡 Allows for open discussions on taboo topics
- 👍 Useful for students to explore career options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔒 Privacy and data concerns
- 🤖 Overzealous and biased moderation
- 📨 Aggressive notifications and spam
- 🔒 Difficult to delete account and posts

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to change job title or industry
- Verification process takes too long
- Keyboard overlaps text input fields
- Notifications disappear after viewing one

**Requested features**

- Improve search and browsing functionality
- Add option to post anonymously
- Implement better content moderation system
- Allow users to delete their own posts and comments
- Provide more industry-specific communities


### CAPTIVATE!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captivate/id1188466419)

Earn rewards by completing apartment-related actions like social media sharing, referrals, and lease renewals. Accumulate points to redeem for gift cards from popular retailers. Build a stronger apartment community while enjoying exclusive perks.

**Highlights:** Earn points for actions, Redeem for gift cards, Social media sharing, Referral program, Lease renewal rewards, Surveys and feedback, Online rent payment rewards

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fishbowl free?

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

### Is CAPTIVATE! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fishbowl or CAPTIVATE!?

CAPTIVATE! is rated higher. Fishbowl averages 4.6 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while CAPTIVATE! averages 4.8 from 339 ratings.

### Do Fishbowl or CAPTIVATE! have ads?

Neither Fishbowl nor CAPTIVATE! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fishbowl or CAPTIVATE!?

Fishbowl ships an update every 2 months, and CAPTIVATE! every 3 weeks. Most recently, Fishbowl was updated on November 9, 2026 and CAPTIVATE! on November 2, 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.*