# Vicinity vs Earshot

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vicinity | Earshot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicinity-proximity-chat/id1536080128/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earshot-proximity-chat/id6471038992/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 84 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Esketit LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536080130) | [Zenith Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1714722103) |

## What reviewers say

### Vicinity

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicinity-proximity-chat/id1536080128)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Features | $10.99 | per year |


### Earshot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earshot-proximity-chat/id6471038992)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*