# UTSW Huddle vs Heartbeat Chat

The clearest difference is rating: UTSW Huddle at 5.0 against Heartbeat Chat's 4.0. UTSW Huddle also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Heartbeat Chat's advantage is ratings volume (135 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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.

UTSW Huddle holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heartbeat Chat has 135 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UTSW Huddle ships an update fortnightly, Heartbeat Chat every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | UTSW Huddle | Heartbeat Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utsw-huddle/id1532031279/reviews)** | [4.0 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **135** |
| Positive reviews | — | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 83 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UT Southwestern Medical Center](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456657592) | [Heartbeat Chat, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540206043) |

## What reviewers say

### UTSW Huddle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utsw-huddle/id1532031279)

Stay informed and connected with your team. Access important announcements, contacts, and news to strategize and achieve your goals. Features include video and push notifications for seamless communication.

**Highlights:** Leadership announcements, Contact directory, Referral tools, Healthcare news, Video features, Push notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Heartbeat Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041)

Build and manage your online communities with a versatile platform.  Engage members through chat, voice, and video, and create a knowledge base for lasting discussions.  Integrate with other tools to automate actions and track growth.

**Highlights:** Customizable channels for chat and posts, Voice rooms for real-time conversations, Presence indicators for a shared room feel, Knowledge base creation from discussions, Integration with Zoom, Google Calendar, Salesforce, etc., Automated community match-ups and intros, Permission management and payment processing

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Fast and streamlined experience
- 💡 Great for community building and hosting
- ✨ Elegant toggling between memberships
- ✅ User-friendly features for admins

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy performance
- 🐌 Slow loading times
- ❌ Difficult login process for users
- 📱 Poor iPad optimization
- ⚠️ Invasion of privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Audio playback stops when phone locks
- Users struggle with logging in
- App is not optimized for iPad, especially in landscape view
- Invasion of privacy concerns regarding photo access
- Notifications are inconsistent and important messages are missed

**Requested features**

- Allow audio to play while phone locks
- Improve iPad optimization, especially in landscape view
- Fix the app icon to not resemble a dating app
- Allow users to change their RSVP to an event after confirming
- Enable users to join public threads via the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UTSW Huddle free?

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

### Is Heartbeat Chat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UTSW Huddle or Heartbeat Chat?

UTSW Huddle is rated higher. UTSW Huddle averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Heartbeat Chat averages 4.0 from 135 ratings.

### Do UTSW Huddle or Heartbeat Chat have ads?

Neither UTSW Huddle nor Heartbeat Chat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UTSW Huddle or Heartbeat Chat?

UTSW Huddle ships an update fortnightly, and Heartbeat Chat every 5 weeks. Most recently, UTSW Huddle was updated on October 29, 2026 and Heartbeat Chat on October 29, 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.*