Vicinity vs Earshot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Vicinity
Connect instantly with people nearby through live chatrooms and private messaging. This social tool aims to foster real-time connections within communities, encouraging face-to-face interactions. Discover local events, ask for recommendations, or simply chat with those around you.
- Live chatrooms based on location radius
- Private messaging
- Place-based voice/chat rooms
- Voice and video calling (Premium)
- Dark mode support
- Moderated chat for safety
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Vicinity is a spatial communication network — the group chat for IRL. A real-time social layer tied to where you are, not who you follow. No algorithms — just your local world, live. Open the app and connect with everyone nearby across multiple topic channels. Send message requests, create group chats, or join landmark rooms at iconic locations worldwide — but only if you're physically there. The internet you walk through, not the one you scroll. As connection with those physically around us quietly erodes, Vicinity gives your location a shared context — a common channel for real community. Potential uses • Meet new people nearby • Organize meetups by topic • Chat with others at a sports game, bar, or concert • Coordinate a class study group • Get help from a neighbor • Invite others to a block party • Recommend shows, restaurants, or events to people nearby • Ask locals for tips when traveling • Coordinate group activities • Host a game night with people nearby — trivia, chess, poker, and more Core features • Vicinity chat: multiple topic channels for your radius • Live Games: host or join real-time multiplayer games with people nearby — trivia, chess, poker, blackjack, werewolf, mahjong, and more • Landmark rooms: audio and text chat at iconic locations worldwide — only if you're physically there • Private messaging: send message requests to anyone you meet in the chatroom • Profile photos: free for everyone • Premium: group chats, photos in DMs, voice & video calls, ad-free, and more Dark Mode Vicinity supports both light and dark mode. Privacy and security All location-based rooms are fully moderated. Distance sharing is optional — you control what you share. Download Vicinity. Community restored. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Earshot
Instantly and anonymously connect with people nearby. Discover new individuals at events or on campus by simply opening the application and joining a local chat space. It's an easy way to meet others in your physical vicinity.
- Anonymous chat
- Proximity-based communication
- Instant connection
- Location-based chat spaces
- Meet new people nearby
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Earshot allows you to instantly and anonymously chat with others around you! Just open the app and you can quickly join a space that allows you to chat with others at your physical location. Whether it is a sporting event or a college campus, Earshot will allow you meet new people around you quickly and easily. Just open the app and start chatting!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Earshot at none against Vicinity's 1. Earshot also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Vicinity's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (37 vs 1). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Vicinity sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $10.99 per year. Earshot asks for nothing beyond the download.
Earshot holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vicinity has 37 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Vicinity ships an update every 4 days, Earshot every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Vicinity | Earshot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (37 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 37 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Esketit LLC | Zenith Software, LLC |
Customer experience
Vicinity
Earshot
In-app purchases
Vicinity
- Subscription Features$10.991 Year
Earshot
No in-app purchases









