# Howbout vs CaughtUp

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Howbout at 51K against CaughtUp's 6. Howbout also leads on chart position (#72 vs unranked). CaughtUp's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Howbout sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and CaughtUp sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CaughtUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Howbout has 51K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Howbout | CaughtUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (51K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howbout-shared-calendar/id1477248221/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caughtup-events/id1502339905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **51K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 42.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#72** | — |
| Size | 155 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Howbout Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477248220) | [CaughtUp LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1219774546) |

## What reviewers say

### Howbout

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howbout-shared-calendar/id1477248221)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Free · Social Networking, #112 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

This app simplifies social planning by allowing friends to share calendars, coordinate events, and see each other's availability. It helps move plans out of group chats and into a centralized, customizable space with integrated communication features.

**Highlights:** Shared calendars for friends, Color-coded events, Plan details with notes and pictures, Share and view friend availability, Integrated group chat and DMs, Sync external calendars, Home screen widgets

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Howbout+ Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Helps with planning and organizing
- 💡 Useful features like polls, countdowns, and event chats
- 🤝 Facilitates sharing calendars and coordinating with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔀 Difficulty syncing with other calendars
- 📢 Overwhelming notifications
- 🔒 Forced to add friends to use the app

**Reported bugs**

- Calendar sync issues causing duplicate events
- Notifications not working as expected
- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to edit events without resending invites

**Requested features**

- Add widget support
- Allow customization of event colors
- Improve recurring event handling
- Add option to only share with specific people


### CaughtUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caughtup-events/id1502339905)

This app streamlines social planning by consolidating event details, coordination, and communication into a single, organized platform. It helps users turn ideas into organized events, even if friends don't have the app, and syncs with existing calendars for a complete view of your schedule.

**Highlights:** AI event creation from flyers or screenshots, Shareable event links (URL, QR code, text), Float ideas to friends for interest gauging, Personal availability view, Calendar sync for unified schedule, Built-in messaging for shared events, Live-updating event details

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Plus | $7.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Howbout free?

Howbout is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CaughtUp free?

CaughtUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Howbout or CaughtUp?

CaughtUp is rated higher. Howbout averages 4.8 out of 5 from 51K ratings, while CaughtUp averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Howbout or CaughtUp have ads?

Neither Howbout nor CaughtUp shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Howbout or CaughtUp?

Howbout ships an update weekly, and CaughtUp weekly. Most recently, Howbout was updated on October 28, 2026 and CaughtUp on October 24, 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.*