Are.na vs Groucho
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.
Groucho
This app facilitates real-life connections by forming small, compatible groups for recurring in-person dinner parties and activities. It uses guided interviews for matching, focusing on genuine interaction over public metrics.
- Private guided interviews for matching
- Formation of small, compatible groups
- Coordination of recurring in-person dinners
- Focus on conversation-based matching
- No public metrics like likes or followers
- Emphasis on face-to-face connection
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Groucho Real-life, personalized social clubs. Instead of profiles, swipes, or public metrics, Groucho begins with a private, guided interview. You speak naturally about how you think, what you enjoy, and how you relate to others. From that conversation, Groucho forms a small group of compatible people and coordinates recurring, in-person dinner parties and other club activities. Groucho is built for real-world connection: • In-person groups, not online feeds • Small, recurring meetings, not one-off encounters • Conversation-based matching, not questionnaires • No likes, followers, or public scores This isn’t a dating app or a social network. It’s a private social club for those who crave genuine, face-to-face connection without the pressure to perform. Less scrolling. More presence. Deeper, life-enriching connection.
Screenshots
Verdict
Are.na and Groucho both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Groucho's written reviews are positive against 52% of Are.na's. Groucho also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Are.na's advantage is ratings volume (363 vs 6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Are.na against 5.0 for Groucho. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Are.na has 363 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Are.na's written reviews are positive against 100% of Groucho's.
Are.na ships an update every 9 days, Groucho every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Are.na | Groucho |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (363 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 363 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | When It Changed Inc. | Trampoline LLC |
Customer experience
Are.na
Groucho
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
Groucho
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Are.na
No in-app purchases
Groucho
No in-app purchases
