frequency social vs EL Mesh
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
frequency social
Share life's moments privately with close friends and family. This app offers a chronological feed without ads or data tracking, focusing on high-resolution photo sharing and text updates. It's built on the federated ActivityPub protocol, allowing interaction with other social networks.
- Private photo sharing
- Chronological feed
- No ads or tracking
- Federated social networking (ActivityPub)
- High-resolution photo optimization
- Text-based updates
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Share the important moments in your life with your closest friends and family, without trading your personal data. The frequency iOS app is a custom client app for the frequency.app server. Join the future of social that's bringing it back to basics: » No ads, no tracking or training AI with your personal data » Private photo-sharing, just for your approved followers » Built on top of the federated social networking standard (ActivityPub protocol) » Follow and share with your friends on other federated social networks, like Pixelfed or Mastodon » Calm design, respectful of your time and attention » Feeds are always chronological, no algorithmic sorting, no promoted posts » Optimized for beautiful, high-resolution photos, while still showing you text-based updates from your friends -- Subscription Details -- • Monthly individual and family sharing subscriptions are available, as well as a discounted annual subscription for individuals • 30-day free trials are offered on all subscriptions • Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at the end of the trial, unless the subscription is canceled • Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription • Subscriptions can be managed or cancelled by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase Terms: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://frequency.app/privacy-policy
EL Mesh
Discover and connect with people in your immediate vicinity. Share your social media profiles effortlessly to foster new friendships and conversations in real-world settings like gyms, coffee shops, or while traveling.
- Discover people nearby in real-time
- Send waves and start conversations
- Share social media links
- Flexible privacy modes (Ghost, Chill, On the Go)
- Make new friends anywhere
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EL Mesh is a fun, easy way to meet new people and share your socials with those around you. Ever see someone you wanted to talk to but never got the chance? Whether you’re at the gym, a coffee shop, campus, or traveling, EL Mesh helps you turn nearby moments into real connections. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE NEARBY * Discover people around you in real time * Send waves and start conversations effortlessly * Make new friends wherever life takes you SHARE YOUR SOCIALS * Add your Instagram and other socials to your profile * Let people find and follow you after you connect * No awkward asking — your links are already there YOU’RE IN CONTROL Choose how visible you want to be with flexible privacy modes: Ghost Mode – stay completely hidden Chill Mode – you're visible to nearby users On the Go – stay discoverable while you’re out EL Mesh makes meeting people simple, social, and on your terms. Step out, get noticed, and connect. Sign up with your @msu.edu email to join. EL Mesh is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Michigan State University.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EL Mesh at none against frequency social's 4. EL Mesh also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). frequency social's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. frequency social sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. EL Mesh asks for nothing beyond the download.
EL Mesh holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively.
frequency social ships an update every 2 months, EL Mesh weekly. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.
| Parameter | frequency social | EL Mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Jesse Karmani | Atlas Labs LLC (MI) |
Customer experience
frequency social
EL Mesh
In-app purchases
frequency social
- Individual Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Supporter1 Month trial$4.991 Month
- Individual Yearly1 Month trial$5.991 Year
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- Family Sharing Plan1 Month trial$12.991 Month
EL Mesh
No in-app purchases
