Comparison

Text nearBy vs OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat

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

Head to head
About

Text nearBy

Communicate with people nearby using Bluetooth, no internet connection required. Ideal for group chats at home, school, or while traveling. Messages are private and automatically deleted after viewing.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth-only communication
  • No internet or WiFi needed
  • Private, direct messaging
  • Automatic message deletion
  • No account or phone number required
  • Notifications for new messages
Features
Read full description

Text nearBy is different than most chat apps because it works over Bluetooth. Chat with everyone in your home, chat with all your friends in the same room at school or work, chat with your family and friends on a plane or a bus, and even chat with friends outside. Details • No Cell or WiFi networks needed. • Notifications for new messages. • No phone number, email address, or account needed. • Allow your kids to safely chat with your family. • May only chat with friends that are near you (about 33 feet). • Messages are not sent through any server, they are sent directly to your friends over Bluetooth. • Messages are automatically deleted an hour after they are viewed.

About

OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat

Connect with people nearby using Bluetooth, no internet required. Share text messages, voice notes, and even engage in video calls directly between devices. Ideal for situations with limited or no internet access.

Highlights
  • Offline messaging
  • Bluetooth video chat
  • Voice messages
  • Nearby group chat
  • Peer-to-peer privacy
  • Fast setup
  • Battery efficient
Features
Read full description

Chat, talk, and video call with people nearby — no internet, no router, no accounts. OfflineHarmony lets you message, send voice notes, and video chat with people around you using direct device‑to‑device connections over Bluetooth and peer‑to‑peer Wi‑Fi. No cellular data, no internet, and no Wi‑Fi network required. On a plane, at a school or workplace with blocked internet, traveling abroad, at a crowded event, or in an emergency — OfflineHarmony keeps you connected. KEY FEATURES Offline Messaging — Send and receive texts with no internet or cellular data. Live Video Chat — Real‑time video with nearby people over a direct connection. Voice Messages — Record and send voice notes, with adjustable playback speed. Nearby Group Chat — Connect with several people at once. Scan to Join — The host shows a QR code; others scan to hop in instantly. Private by Design — Messages go straight between devices. No servers store your chats, and no account or sign‑up is required. Encrypted Connections — Data is encrypted directly between devices. Safety Tools — Block or report anyone, right from the chat. Fast Setup — Open the app, find people nearby, and start talking in seconds. OFFLINEHARMONY PLUS — an optional one‑time purchase, no subscription ever. Removes ads and unlocks 5 color themes, 6 custom app icons, faster voice playback, and instant QR joining. Everything you need to chat stays free. PERFECT FOR Flights and travel • Schools and campuses with blocked internet • Festivals, concerts, and conventions • Camping and the outdoors • Emergencies • Cruises and ships • Stadiums and crowded events WHY OFFLINEHARMONY Most chat apps stop working the moment you lose internet. OfflineHarmony doesn't. Text, voice, video, and group chat — all completely offline, all directly between nearby devices. Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Cantonese. Download OfflineHarmony and stay connected anywhere.

Screenshots

Text nearBy2 screens
OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat at 5.0 against Text nearBy's 3.7. OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Text nearBy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Text nearBy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Text nearBy ships an update every 2 months, OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Text nearBy versus OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterText nearByOfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (9 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul HangasLimeLime Labs LLC

Customer experience

Text nearBy

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Text nearBy

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat

One-time1
  • OfflineHarmony Plus$1.99

Questions

Is Text nearBy free?
Text nearBy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat free?
OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Text nearBy or OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat?
OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat is rated higher. Text nearBy averages 3.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Text nearBy or OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat have ads?
Neither Text nearBy nor OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Text nearBy or OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat?
Text nearBy ships an update every 2 months, and OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat weekly. Most recently, Text nearBy was updated on November 2, 2026 and OfflineHarmony Bluetooth Chat on November 8, 2026.

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