# BarWave vs Bar Buddy Inc

The clearest difference is ratings volume: BarWave at 98 against Bar Buddy Inc's 19. Bar Buddy Inc's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.5 for BarWave against 4.5 for Bar Buddy Inc. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BarWave has 98 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of BarWave's written reviews are positive against 86% of Bar Buddy Inc's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BarWave | Bar Buddy Inc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barwave/id1437554424/reviews)** | [4.5 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bar-buddy-inc/id1459065133/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **98** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 40 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BarWave LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467835495) | [Cooper Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/998765809) |

## What reviewers say

### BarWave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barwave/id1437554424)

Discover the perfect bar with real-time crowd insights and personalized recommendations. Connect with your nightlife community for updated information and transform your nights out into memorable experiences.

**Highlights:** Real-time crowd insights, Personalized bar recommendations, Nightlife community updates, Discover local bars, Plan nights out

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bar Buddy Inc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bar-buddy-inc/id1459065133)

Discover new bars, events, and happy hours with friends. Find local spots or explore new neighborhoods, and easily share your night out plans. Connect with buddies and share bar reviews to keep your network informed.

**Highlights:** Discover new bars, Find events and happy hours, Filter bars by type, Map view for nearby bars, Locate friends on a map, Add friends and post statuses, Review bars

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BarWave free?

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

### Is Bar Buddy Inc free?

Bar Buddy Inc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BarWave or Bar Buddy Inc?

BarWave is rated higher. BarWave averages 4.5 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Bar Buddy Inc averages 4.5 from 19 ratings.

### Do BarWave or Bar Buddy Inc have ads?

Neither BarWave nor Bar Buddy Inc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BarWave or Bar Buddy Inc?

BarWave ships an update monthly, and Bar Buddy Inc monthly. Most recently, BarWave was updated on October 24, 2026 and Bar Buddy Inc on October 6, 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.*