# Are.na vs Present IRL

The clearest difference is update cadence: Present IRL at weekly against Are.na's fortnightly. Present IRL also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, 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.

Are.na ships an update fortnightly, Present IRL weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Are.na | Present IRL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arena/id1299153149/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **357** | — |
| Positive reviews | **52.1% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 85 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +17 | 17+ |
| Developer | [When It Changed Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1299153148) | [Present IRL LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896775688) |

## What reviewers say

### Are.na

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arena/id1299153149)

This platform allows creatives and researchers to save and organize any type of content into collections. It provides a distraction-free space to connect and build ideas, fostering collaboration and community.  It is independent, ad-free, and algorithm-free.

**Highlights:** Save any content type, Organize into collections, Distraction-free space, Collaborate on projects, Share ideas privately or publicly, Thoughtful community

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and clean
- 👍 Minimalist and accessible
- 🖤 Great community and content
- 🖤 Inspiring and creative
- 🖤 Organically curated experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Laggy performance
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Unintuitive navigation
- 🐛 Limited functionality compared to website

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Ability to sort channels by connections
- Landscape mode support on iPad
- Password reset functionality
- Multiple image/video uploads
- Improved channel management


### Present IRL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/present-irl/id6771248968)

Connect with friends and join events in real life. This private social app prioritizes genuine connections without algorithms, ads, or data selling. Currently in early access, requiring an invite to join.

**Highlights:** Connect in real life, Share and join moments, Private by default, No algorithms, No ads or data selling, Early access with invite

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Are.na free?

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

### Is Present IRL free?

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

### Do Are.na or Present IRL have ads?

Neither Are.na nor Present IRL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Are.na or Present IRL?

Are.na ships an update fortnightly, and Present IRL weekly. Most recently, Are.na was updated on November 2, 2026 and Present IRL on October 31, 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.*
