Comparison

BuyNothing vs Would App

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

Head to head
About

BuyNothing

Connect with your local community to give, receive, share, lend, and borrow items. This app fosters a gift economy, building connections through sharing, inspired by the BuyNothing® Project.

Highlights
  • Give and receive items locally
  • Lend and borrow goods
  • Hyper-local community sharing
  • Gift economy model
  • Build community connections
  • Express gratitude
Features
Read full description

We offer people a way to give, receive, share, lend, borrow and express gratitude through a hyper-local gift economy model in which people can share wherever they are and true wealth is measured by the web of connections formed between people through sharing. From the founders of the BuyNothing® Project. Terms of Use: https://buynothingproject.org/terms

About

Would App

This social networking app allows you to discreetly express interest in your existing contacts. If mutual interest is indicated, both users are notified, enabling connections without the pressure of direct initiation. It focuses on people you already know, eliminating strangers and profiles.

Highlights
  • Contacts-based interest indicator
  • Mutual interest notifications
  • No stranger profiles
  • Anonymous invite feature
  • Discreet interest exploration
  • Facilitates reconnection
Features
Read full description

SEE WHO WOULD Would is a contacts-based app for shooting shots with the people you know. Import your contacts, and toggle the “Would” button if you want to indicate interest. If both of you Would, you’ll each receive a notification. It’s up to you two to take it from there. Would provides a way to express interest in people you know without the stakes. No strangers, no profiles, no misses. Nothing happens, unless you both Would. Mutual interest only: Nothing happens unless both people are interested. It’s a secret crush revealer that only works if it goes both ways. No profile: No one will know you're using Would unless you tell them—or invite them to download the app with the anonymous invite feature. No strangers: Would is all about the people you already know, not strangers you’ll never meet. No making it weird: Quit worrying about rejection. See who’s interested without having to make the first move. Reconnection: Whether it’s a random cutie from way back, the one who got away, or *that* ex, Would is that “hey” text you want to send without having to send it first. Discretion: Questioning? Closeted? Just curious? Would allows you to discreetly explore possibilities you might not be sure about.

Screenshots

BuyNothing4 screens
Would App3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Would App at 100% against BuyNothing's 27%. Would App also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 8). BuyNothing's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 9). On price, ads, 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. BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Would App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Would App holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BuyNothing has 2.1K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of BuyNothing's written reviews are positive against 100% of Would App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BuyNothing ships an update every 2 weeks, Would App every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BuyNothing versus Would App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuyNothingWould App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.1K ratings)4.9 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better9
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB19 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperBuy Nothing Project, Inc.Would USA, Inc.

Customer experience

BuyNothing

All ratings2,080 ratings
Positive80.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative14.5%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive26.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative60.2%

Would App

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BuyNothing

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Would App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

BuyNothing

Subscriptions8
  • Buy Nothing Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Buy Nothing Pro$3.991 Month
  • Sustaining Member$5.491 Month
Show 5 more
  • Sustaining Member$6.991 Month
  • Buy Nothing Pro$38.491 Year
  • Buy Nothing Subscription$38.491 Year
  • Sustaining Member$54.991 Year
  • Sustaining Member$69.991 Year
None

Would App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BuyNothing free?
BuyNothing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Would App free?
Would App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BuyNothing or Would App?
Would App is rated higher. BuyNothing averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Would App averages 4.9 from 9 ratings.
Do BuyNothing or Would App have ads?
Neither BuyNothing nor Would App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BuyNothing or Would App?
BuyNothing ships an update every 2 weeks, and Would App every 9 months. Most recently, BuyNothing was updated on October 24, 2026 and Would App on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons