W | Bear vs GBearXL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
W | Bear
This social networking app connects individuals within the gay bear community. Build meaningful relationships, share your life through photos and videos, and discover local and global events. It's an inclusive space for diverse identities to connect and celebrate.
- Connect with users nearby or globally
- Explore profiles with shared interests
- Share photos and videos
- Discover local and global events
- Inclusive community for diverse identities
- Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
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Discover W | Bear, the social networking app designed by bears, for the gay bear community. Build meaningful connections, share your world, chat with friends, and explore events – all in one inclusive space. Meet & Connect • Find friendly faces nearby or around the world. • Explore profiles with shared interests and values. • Start conversations and build lasting connections. Share & Explore • Share photos and videos that reflect who you are. • Interact with posts by liking and commenting. • Use tags to connect with others who share your identity and interests. Stay in the Loop • Discover local and global bear events – from casual meetups to big celebrations. • Find out who’s attending and connect before the fun begins. Celebrate Diversity • However you identify – bear, cub, otter, chaser, or beyond – you’re welcome here. • Be part of a community rooted in friendship, authenticity, and mutual respect. Easy to Use • Create your profile in minutes. • Navigate smoothly with intuitive tools and design. • Continue conversations across devices without missing a beat. W | Bear is free to download and open to individuals 18 and older. Premium subscriptions are available for an enhanced experience. W | Bear Terms of Service: http://wnet.lgbt/tos.html W | Bear EULA: http://wnet.lgbt/eula.html Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
GBearXL
Connect with others in the gay bear community through a newsfeed, profile views, and location sharing. Engage with members via live chat, give stars, and play a slot machine game. The app supports multiple languages and offers robust reporting and blocking features.
- Multilingual newsfeed
- Profile visitor tracking
- Location sharing and distance display
- Live messaging chat
- User reporting and blocking
- Bear Slot Machine Game
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The GBearXL App offers: - Newsfeed with translation in 4 languages - See who visited your profile - Share your location - See member's distance from your location - Give starts to users - Membership card free - Bear Slot Machine Game - Follow/Unfollow members - Live message chat - Report posts - Report comments - Block/Report members - Search members from all over - Dark mode ready - Support 4 languages: English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish - Push notification
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: W | Bear at 4.5 against GBearXL's 2.5. W | Bear also leads on ratings volume (2.6K vs 6). GBearXL's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 40%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. W | Bear sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and GBearXL sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
W | Bear holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: W | Bear has 2.6K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of W | Bear's written reviews are positive against 50% of GBearXL's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
W | Bear ships an update monthly, GBearXL fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | W | Bear | GBearXL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2.6K ratings) — better | 2.5 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.3% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.6K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | gNetLabs, Inc. | Henry Michels |
Customer experience
W | Bear
GBearXL
Bugs and requests
W | Bear
Reported bugs
5 issues- Crashes when switching between profiles
- Inability to delete account or photos
- Inconsistent behavior when blocking users
- Photos not showing up in global feeds
- Login issues and account lockouts
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to manage private album access
- Improved notification management
- Dark mode option
- Better photo/video upload and editing tools
- In-app support and feedback channels
GBearXL
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
W | Bear
- 1 Month$12.991 Month
- 3 Months$28.993 Months
- 1 Year$79.991 Year
GBearXL
- 100 BXL$2.99
- 500 BXL$4.99
- 1000 BXL$6.99
