# HootBoard vs Heartbeat Chat

The clearest difference is rating: Heartbeat Chat at 4.0 against HootBoard's 3.5. Heartbeat Chat also leads on ratings volume (136 vs 4). HootBoard's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 41%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Heartbeat Chat holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heartbeat Chat has 136 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of HootBoard's written reviews are positive against 41% of Heartbeat Chat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

HootBoard ships an update every 2 months, Heartbeat Chat every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HootBoard | Heartbeat Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hootboard/id1141706263/reviews) | **[4.0 (136 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **136** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 36 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HOOTBOARD LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141706262) | [Heartbeat Chat, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540206043) |

## What reviewers say

### HootBoard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hootboard/id1141706263)

Stay updated and contribute to your organization's digital bulletin board. Post announcements, events, and jobs on the go, and receive real-time notifications. Engage in discussions and manage content easily.

**Highlights:** Post updates on the go, Receive push notifications, View and add events to calendar, Engage with comments and questions, Filter content with collections, Admin content review and management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Heartbeat Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041)

Build and manage your online communities with a versatile platform.  Engage members through chat, voice, and video, and create a knowledge base for lasting discussions.  Integrate with other tools to automate actions and track growth.

**Highlights:** Customizable channels for chat and posts, Voice rooms for real-time conversations, Presence indicators for a shared room feel, Knowledge base creation from discussions, Integration with Zoom, Google Calendar, Salesforce, etc., Automated community match-ups and intros, Permission management and payment processing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast and streamlined experience
- 💡 Great for community building and hosting
- ✨ Elegant toggling between memberships
- ✅ User-friendly features for admins

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy performance
- 🐌 Slow loading times
- ❌ Difficult login process for users
- 📱 Poor iPad optimization
- ⚠️ Invasion of privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Audio playback stops when phone locks
- Users struggle with logging in
- App is not optimized for iPad, especially in landscape view
- Invasion of privacy concerns regarding photo access
- Notifications are inconsistent and important messages are missed

**Requested features**

- Allow audio to play while phone locks
- Improve iPad optimization, especially in landscape view
- Fix the app icon to not resemble a dating app
- Allow users to change their RSVP to an event after confirming
- Enable users to join public threads via the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HootBoard free?

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

### Is Heartbeat Chat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HootBoard or Heartbeat Chat?

Heartbeat Chat is rated higher. HootBoard averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Heartbeat Chat averages 4.0 from 136 ratings.

### Do HootBoard or Heartbeat Chat have ads?

Neither HootBoard nor Heartbeat Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HootBoard or Heartbeat Chat?

HootBoard ships an update every 2 months, and Heartbeat Chat every 5 weeks. Most recently, HootBoard was updated on November 2, 2026 and Heartbeat Chat on November 3, 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.*