# BuyNothing vs NECX

BuyNothing and NECX both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of NECX's written reviews are positive against 27% of BuyNothing's. NECX also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). BuyNothing's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 5) and chart position (#143 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. NECX asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for BuyNothing against 4.2 for NECX. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BuyNothing has 2.1K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 27% of BuyNothing's written reviews are positive against 100% of NECX's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BuyNothing | NECX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/necx/id6446583519/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 26.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#143** | — |
| Size | 75 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buy Nothing Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557679961) | [NECX Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677637287) |

## What reviewers say

### BuyNothing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959)

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with your local community to share, lend, and borrow items. Foster a gift economy based on mutual support and gratitude, building connections through giving.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local community sharing, Gift economy model, Lend and borrow items, Express gratitude, Build community connections, Global reach

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $5.49 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $6.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $38.49 | per year |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $38.49 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $54.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Friendly community interactions
- ♻️ Promotes sustainability and reducing waste
- 🌍 Global reach beyond local groups
- 🏠 Hyper-local focus when set up properly
- 📦 Smooth gifting and receiving process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
- 📍 Difficulty filtering for local posts
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 💬 Inconsistent notifications and messaging
- 💰 Paywall for key features

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login issues and inability to reset passwords
- Inconsistent location settings and radius
- Unreliable notifications and messaging
- Inability to edit or update posts

**Requested features**

- Search function to find specific posts
- Ability to edit and update posts
- Improved organization and sorting of posts
- Syncing across multiple devices
- More robust moderation and community tools


### NECX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/necx/id6446583519)

This platform connects individuals with trusted victim service providers and resources for help, healing, or guidance. It offers private messaging, personalized recommendations, and AI-guided support to navigate difficult situations and understand options.

**Highlights:** Connect with victim service providers, Access local resources, Real-time updates, Private messaging, Personalized recommendations, AI-guided support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BuyNothing free?

BuyNothing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NECX free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BuyNothing or NECX?

BuyNothing is rated higher. BuyNothing averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while NECX averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do BuyNothing or NECX have ads?

Neither BuyNothing nor NECX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BuyNothing or NECX?

BuyNothing ships an update fortnightly, and NECX fortnightly. Most recently, BuyNothing was updated on November 7, 2026 and NECX on November 3, 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.*