# Private Kit vs Alara Uptown

The clearest difference is update cadence: Private Kit at every 4 days against Alara Uptown's every 13 months. Private Kit also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Private Kit ships an update every 4 days, Alara Uptown every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Kit | Alara Uptown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-kit/id1501903733/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **121** | — |
| Positive reviews | 32.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/353590322) | [Yardi Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/425728804) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Kit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-kit/id1501903733)

This app allows you to log your GPS trails directly on your phone. All data is stored locally and remains private until you choose to export it. It efficiently stores location history with minimal space usage.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first location logging, Local data storage, Manual data export, Efficient data storage, Location import/export

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great idea for contact tracing
- 🔒 Private data logging
- 👍 Appreciated effort by MIT
- 🚀 Potential to slow virus spread
- 👍 Can log location without app open

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Confusing and unclear UI/UX
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🤷 No idea how to use it
- 📉 Poor execution and polish
- 🚫 No support or response

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to view movements on map
- Map crashes/closes app before loading
- App crashes when trying to open map
- App crashes when trying to view overlaps
- Map shows zoomed out view and crashes

**Requested features**

- Better howto and help information
- More rigorous and robust app development
- Simple notebook feature for user contacts
- Clearer explanation of map features (green targets, red pins)
- Option to add locations when without phone


### Alara Uptown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alara-uptown/id1505881845)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Kit free?

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

### Is Alara Uptown free?

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

### Do Private Kit or Alara Uptown have ads?

Neither Private Kit nor Alara Uptown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Kit or Alara Uptown?

Private Kit ships an update every 4 days, and Alara Uptown every 13 months. Most recently, Private Kit was updated on November 5, 2026 and Alara Uptown on November 3, 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.*