Comparison

Heylo | Build community groups vs Umi

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Heylo | Build community groups

This platform helps community group leaders organize events, manage member communication, and collect payments. It provides a branded space for groups to foster engagement and streamline operations, making it easier to build a thriving community.

Highlights
  • Event organization and broadcasting
  • Dedicated event and topic chats
  • Customizable event registration
  • Flexible payment collection
  • Branded group spaces
  • Member screening and privacy controls
Features
Read full description

Heylo is the platform for community groups. Heylo gives leaders the tools to be more organized with events, chats, and payments in your own branded group space. Whether you’re leading a running group, book club, pickleball team, or parent organization, Heylo gives you the tools to build a thriving community and meaningful group experiences. The result? Happier members and a stronger, more engaged community. WITH HEYLO, YOU CAN… ORGANIZE EVENTS Create events and broadcast all the details by push notification and email Keep everyone connected with dedicated event group chats Customize event registration, set caps, offer early access, and invite guests Control event visibility—keep some events private for members, while showcasing others to the public. Track attendance and celebrate participation with event milestones STREAMLINE COMMUNICATION Create chats for members by topic and for events Add icebreakers and introductions No more juggling DMs or emails—everything your members need is in one place Pinned chat for leaders to reach everyone with integrated push notifications and emails COLLECT PAYMENTS AND WAIVERS Skip the awkward conversations and simplify member contributions. Flexible recurring membership options, from monthly to scholarship Add a price to an event and collect payments in advance Showcase sponsors and partners with discounts behind a membership paywall Protect yourself by collecting waivers BRAND YOUR SPACE Customize your group’s page with your group’s colors, logo, and a custom URL you can share on your socials. Add custom links to share essential information. There’s no limit to the number of links you can add, and you control the visibility. Your group page automatically displays all your upcoming events and group information, keeping your page fresh and up-to-date without any extra effort. HAPPIER MEMBERS Members can choose how they stay connected via the web, app, or email. They manage their memberships, profiles, connections, and payment information by themselves. PLUS HEYLO IS… FREE TO USE No paywall to get started, no usage limits, and no ads. Heylo makes money by collecting a small percentage when you collect payments. A SAFE SPACE Make your entire group private, host private events accessible only to selected members of your group, and screen new members before allowing them to join. Collect private member information securely, whether you're hosting brunches and need to know dietary restrictions, or signing up for running races with age and gender requirements. Remove or delete anything in your group, including messages, members, or events. You have control. Export your member info anytime. WHAT GROUP LEADERS SAY “In our first year on Heylo, paid members increased 3x to over 600. We had to set a cap. I can’t believe how seamless Heylo is.” - Steve Finley, Brooklyn Track Club “Super user-friendly. There are even some older players—in their 70s—who use Heylo without issue. Heylo has made a tremendous impact on how much the group plays—a great thing for everyone.” - Mike Smith, Ragle Beach Volleyball “Collecting payment in advance of our classes brought our no-show rate down from 50% to zero.” - Romain, San Francisco Beach Volleyball

About

Umi

Connect with local clubs and events through an AI-powered platform designed for effortless community building. Discover activities that match your interests and schedule, fostering genuine friendships and real-life experiences.

Highlights
  • AI-powered matchmaking
  • Calendar integration
  • Discover local clubs
  • Personalized event picks
  • Community building
  • Dark-mode interface
Read full description

Umi - An AI-Powered Social Calendar Build community through shared experiences, not endless scrolling. Discover a New Way to Connect Umi is an AI-powered marketplace designed for effortless community building. Whether you're new in town, starting over, or feeling isolated in our digital world, Umi connects you to vibrant local clubs and events where genuine friendships happen naturally. How Umi Works: - Find Clubs: Discover local clubs that match your interests—from dance collectives to hiking groups and everything in between. - We Plan It: Sync your calendar and get personalized event picks, making it effortless to find activities that fit your schedule. - Show Up & Connect: Meet like-minded people, build lasting friendships, and experience your community in real life. Features That Make Umi Special: - AI-Powered Matchmaking: Our intelligent system connects you with clubs and events aligned with your interests. - Calendar Integration: Seamlessly sync your schedule to never miss opportunities to connect. - Local Business Partnerships: Events take place at vibrant local venues, supporting community businesses while creating perfect settings for new friendships. - Simple User Experience: The sleek, dark-mode interface makes finding and joining clubs intuitive and enjoyable. What Our Users Say: "Since moving to town, I've always had something to do with awesome people." - Aaron "My two best friends recently moved away and I'm so grateful to have found this community." - Hellen "I was planning on moving because I couldn't make new friends until Umi." - Alex Join over 1,000 members who are already building genuine connections through Umi. Because in a world that keeps you scrolling, we help you start living. #LiveLifeDontJustScrollIt #UseUmi #RealNotReel Start connecting now with Umi.

Screenshots

Heylo | Build community groups4 screens
Umi4 screens

Verdict

The call

Heylo | Build community groups and Umi both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Umi's written reviews are positive against 71% of Heylo | Build community groups's. Umi also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Heylo | Build community groups's advantage is ratings volume (6.2K vs 8). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Heylo | Build community groups against 4.9 for Umi. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heylo | Build community groups has 6.2K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Heylo | Build community groups's written reviews are positive against 100% of Umi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Heylo | Build community groups ships an update fortnightly, Umi weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Heylo | Build community groups versus Umi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeylo | Build community groupsUmi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (6.2K ratings)4.9 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.2K — better8
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB64 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPiccup, Inc.UseUmi, Inc.

Customer experience

Heylo | Build community groups

All ratings6,192 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral8.7%
Negative20.7%

Umi

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Heylo | Build community groups

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Slow media loading in chat
  • Issues with phone number entry
  • Inconsistent app behavior

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add search function within chat threads
  • Integrate with Google Calendar
  • Allow photo zooming without downloading
  • Add Apple login option

Umi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Heylo | Build community groups

No in-app purchases

None

Umi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Heylo | Build community groups free?
Heylo | Build community groups is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Umi free?
Umi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Heylo | Build community groups or Umi?
Heylo | Build community groups and Umi are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.2K and 8 ratings respectively.
Do Heylo | Build community groups or Umi have ads?
Neither Heylo | Build community groups nor Umi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heylo | Build community groups or Umi?
Heylo | Build community groups ships an update fortnightly, and Umi weekly. Most recently, Heylo | Build community groups was updated on September 23, 2026 and Umi on June 1, 2026.

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