# Lowkey vs Circus

The clearest difference is rating: Circus at 5.0 against Lowkey's 4.0. Circus also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Lowkey's advantage is ratings volume (84 vs 4). 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.

Circus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lowkey has 84 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Lowkey's written reviews are positive against 100% of Circus's.

Lowkey ships an update every 6 weeks, Circus weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lowkey | Circus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowkey-group-chat/id1521276224/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circus-live-group-chat/id6449473115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **84** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 75 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 9+ | +17 |
| Developer | [Key Revolution Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1510005425) | [Max Shaw](https://appshunter.io/developer/394383871) |

## What reviewers say

### Lowkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowkey-group-chat/id1521276224)

This secure group chat platform prioritizes user privacy with end-to-end encryption and message history deletion. It offers tools for organizing conversations, like pinning and announcements, alongside fun features such as custom GIFs and audio messages.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Permanent message history deletion, Screen capturing block, Pinning messages, Announcements and events, Self-made GIFs, Audio messages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Circus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circus-live-group-chat/id6449473115)

This app allows you to broadcast your group conversations live to an audience of any size. Share your chats with the world in real-time. Experience group discussions in a new, interactive way.

**Highlights:** Live group chat broadcasting, Audience interaction, Share conversations globally, Real-time streaming

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lowkey free?

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

### Is Circus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lowkey or Circus?

Circus is rated higher. Lowkey averages 4.0 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while Circus averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Lowkey or Circus have ads?

Neither Lowkey nor Circus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lowkey or Circus?

Lowkey ships an update every 6 weeks, and Circus weekly. Most recently, Lowkey was updated on October 16, 2026 and Circus on September 7, 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.*