# Stereo vs LinkUp in iMessage

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LinkUp in iMessage at 100% against Stereo's 46%. LinkUp in iMessage also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 11 days). Stereo's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

LinkUp in iMessage holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stereo has 10K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Stereo's written reviews are positive against 100% of LinkUp in iMessage's.

Stereo ships an update every 11 days, LinkUp in iMessage every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stereo | LinkUp in iMessage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereo/id1501818976/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkup-in-imessage/id6762589212/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 163 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stereo App Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501818975) | [PRANAV DIWAKAR THOPPE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876066892) |

## What reviewers say

### Stereo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereo/id1501818976)

This social app allows users to share and discover voice notes, engage in live conversations, and connect with others through messaging. It also offers in-app games and avatar customization to enhance social interaction.

**Highlights:** Viral voice notes, Spontaneous conversations, Live talks, In-app messaging, Play games, Customizable avatars

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for live conversations
- 👍 Unique concept for social interaction
- 💡 Potential for community building
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive interface
- 👍 Helpful for practicing public speaking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Concerns about moderation and safety
- 👎 Poor content discovery and navigation
- 👎 Lack of pause/rewind functionality
- 👎 Automatic audio playback upon app launch

**Reported bugs**

- Accounts being banned for unclear reasons
- Audio issues like echoes and cutting out
- Inconsistent age verification and restrictions
- Inability to sign up or log in properly
- Recorded messages disappearing unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add pause and rewind functionality
- Improve content discovery and browsing
- Implement better moderation and safety controls
- Allow users to customize their avatars
- Provide more options for monetization and rewards


### LinkUp in iMessage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkup-in-imessage/id6762589212)

This app simplifies group scheduling by transforming availability into a live heatmap within iMessage. Friends can easily vote on dates, and the app visually highlights the best times for meetups, eliminating endless message chains.

**Highlights:** Live heatmap availability visualization, Interactive calendar voting, Real-time overlap highlighting, Seamless iMessage integration, Multiple visualization modes (Calendar, Range, Focused Day), Designed for casual group planning

**Features:** iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stereo free?

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

### Is LinkUp in iMessage free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stereo or LinkUp in iMessage?

LinkUp in iMessage is rated higher. Stereo averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while LinkUp in iMessage averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Stereo or LinkUp in iMessage have ads?

Neither Stereo nor LinkUp in iMessage shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stereo or LinkUp in iMessage?

Stereo ships an update every 11 days, and LinkUp in iMessage every 2 days. Most recently, Stereo was updated on November 8, 2026 and LinkUp in iMessage 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.*