# Heartbeat Chat vs ERC Pathlight

The clearest difference is update cadence: ERC Pathlight at fortnightly against Heartbeat Chat's every 5 weeks. Heartbeat Chat's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Heartbeat Chat ships an update every 5 weeks, ERC Pathlight fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heartbeat Chat | ERC Pathlight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **135** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 78 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heartbeat Chat, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540206043) | [Eating Recovery Center, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1643937246) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### ERC Pathlight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/erc-pathlight-the-beacon/id6446097907)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heartbeat Chat free?

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

### Is ERC Pathlight free?

ERC Pathlight is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Heartbeat Chat or ERC Pathlight have ads?

Neither Heartbeat Chat nor ERC Pathlight shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heartbeat Chat or ERC Pathlight?

Heartbeat Chat ships an update every 5 weeks, and ERC Pathlight fortnightly. Most recently, Heartbeat Chat was updated on October 18, 2026 and ERC Pathlight on October 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.*