Comparison

Vicinity vs Earshot

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • Anonymous chat
  • Proximity-based communication
  • Instant connection
  • Location-based chat spaces
  • Meet new people nearby
Features
Read full description

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

Vicinity4 screens
Earshot4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Vicinity sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $10.99 per year. Earshot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Vicinity versus Earshot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVicinityEarshot
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (37 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.9% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 9 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB30 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperEsketit LLCZenith Software, LLC

Customer experience

Vicinity

All ratings37 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

Earshot

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Vicinity

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription Features$10.991 Year
None

Earshot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vicinity free?
Vicinity is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Earshot free?
Earshot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vicinity or Earshot?
Earshot is rated higher. Vicinity averages 4.6 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Earshot averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Vicinity or Earshot have ads?
Vicinity shows ads; Earshot does not.
Which is updated more often, Vicinity or Earshot?
Vicinity ships an update every 4 days, and Earshot every 9 months. Most recently, Vicinity was updated on September 8, 2026 and Earshot on June 1, 2026.

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