Are.na vs New Digital Commune
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Are.na
A distraction-free platform for creative individuals to collect and organize any type of content. Connect ideas, collaborate on projects privately or publicly, and engage with a thoughtful community that values curiosity. It's designed to help you break out of filter bubbles.
- Save any content into collections
- Organize links, videos, images, texts
- Distraction-free space
- Share ideas and collaborate
- Private or public project collaboration
- Thoughtful community engagement
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Since 2011, Are.na has been the platform of choice for creative researchers, designers, artists, academics, and rabbit-hole enthusiasts. Completely independent, free from ads, algorithms, and unhealthy business practices, Are.na is a calm, thoughtful space for you to connect your ideas and build new ones. - Save any kind of content into collections. - Organize links, videos, images, and texts in a clean, distraction-free space. - Share ideas and collaborate on projects with anyone, anywhere. - Invite friends to work together privately or in public. - Tap into a thoughtful community where curiosity is valued. - Break out of your filter bubble. Are.na is powered by people, not ads.
New Digital Commune
A social network designed for artists to connect, grow professionally, and increase their visibility. Showcase your work, expand your network, and discover career opportunities in a space built by creatives for creatives.
- Artist portfolio showcase
- Professional network building
- Career opportunity exploration
- Reduced expression limitations
- Social networking for creatives
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New Digital Commune is a platform for artists to connect – with emphasis on professional growth, visibility, and reducing limitations of expression. Present your portfolio, build your network, explore opportunities, and advance your career in a new social network built by creatives, for creatives.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Are.na at 4.9 against New Digital Commune's 2.6. Are.na also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (52% vs 22%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Are.na holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 363 and 115 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Are.na's written reviews are positive against 22% of New Digital Commune's.
Are.na ships an update every 9 days, New Digital Commune every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Are.na | New Digital Commune |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (363 ratings) — better | 2.6 (115 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews — better | 22.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 363 — better | 115 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | When It Changed Inc. | New Digital Commune Incorporated |
Customer experience
Are.na
New Digital Commune
User reviews
Are.na
From 363 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and clean
- 👍 Minimalist and accessible
- 🖤 Great community and content
- 🖤 Inspiring and creative
- 🖤 Organically curated experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Laggy performance
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Unintuitive navigation
- 🐛 Limited functionality compared to website
New Digital Commune
From 115 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative platform designed specifically for creatives across all mediums
- 🎨 Minimalist and intuitive UI design
- 👥 Community focused on authentic creative work without toxic elements
- 🔄 Improvements visible in recent updates with better performance
- 📱 Clean interface that feels fresh and intentional
Room to improve
- 🐛 Widespread crashing and freezing issues across devices
- ❌ Non-functional buttons and unresponsive navigation
- 💸 Pre-launch paid memberships sold before app was functional
- 📉 Extremely low user base and sparse content
- 🚫 Lack of transparency and communication from developers
Bugs and requests
Are.na
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to login or sign up
- Blocks not loading or duplicating
- App crashing when viewing GIFs/animations
- Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions
- Navigation issues due to 'Dynamic Island'
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to sort channels by connections
- Landscape mode support on iPad
- Password reset functionality
- Multiple image/video uploads
- Improved channel management
New Digital Commune
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes immediately upon opening or after account creation
- Buttons unresponsive and not clickable throughout the interface
- App freezes on 'You haven't connected with other creatives' screen
- Content fails to display or shows blank spaces
- Video posts display as white/blank
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- Phantom notifications for non-existent interactions
- Extreme lag and slow loading times
- UI elements cut off on certain screen sizes
- App crashes when attempting to post or upload content
- Feed rarely displays other users' content
- Profile uploads don't display when clicked
- Sign-up process crashes before completion
- App freezes when scrolling or swiping
- Music pauses every time app is opened
Requested features
10 requests- Dark mode option
- Explore/discovery page to connect with random creators
- Search functionality for finding people
- Ability to see who liked posts
- Better content feed algorithm
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- Profile link aggregation (like Linktree)
- Photo metadata display (camera settings, gear used)
- Suggested content based on user interests at launch
- Improved job section with legitimate opportunities
- Better content moderation and quality control
In-app purchases
Are.na
No in-app purchases
New Digital Commune
No in-app purchases
