# Heartbeat Chat vs Skool Communities

The clearest difference is chart position: Skool Communities at #33 against Heartbeat Chat's unranked. Skool Communities also leads on ratings volume (792 vs 135) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Heartbeat Chat against 3.9 for Skool Communities. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skool Communities has 792 ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 41% and 42% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heartbeat Chat | Skool Communities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartbeat-chat/id1540206041/reviews)** | [3.9 (792 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skool-communities/id6447270545/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **792** |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **41.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#33** |
| Size | 78 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Heartbeat Chat, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540206043) | [Skool.com, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680787941) |

## 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


### Skool Communities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skool-communities/id6447270545)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with your online communities from anywhere. Engage in discussions, access courses, stay updated on events, and directly message members. This app brings all the core functionalities of the platform to your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Community discussions, Video and text courses, Event calendar, Direct messaging, Push notifications

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent community platform
- 💡 Innovative learning features
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app
- 👍 Great for online businesses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy video playback
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent notifications
- 🐛 Navigation issues
- 🐛 Slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to create account
- Stuck on login screen
- Videos not playing full screen
- Frequent log-outs
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save posts
- Improved iPad support
- Better chat functionality
- Sync with calendar apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heartbeat Chat free?

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

### Is Skool Communities free?

Skool Communities is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Heartbeat Chat or Skool Communities?

Heartbeat Chat is rated higher. Heartbeat Chat averages 4.0 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Skool Communities averages 3.9 from 792 ratings.

### Do Heartbeat Chat or Skool Communities have ads?

Neither Heartbeat Chat nor Skool Communities shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heartbeat Chat or Skool Communities?

Heartbeat Chat ships an update every 5 weeks, and Skool Communities every 5 weeks. Most recently, Heartbeat Chat was updated on October 29, 2026 and Skool Communities on October 30, 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.*