# Fireside Project vs ALTERD

Fireside Project and ALTERD both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Fireside Project's written reviews are positive against 63% of ALTERD's. Fireside Project also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). ALTERD's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (728 vs 47). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ALTERD sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Fireside Project asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fireside Project holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ALTERD has 728 ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Fireside Project's written reviews are positive against 63% of ALTERD's.

Fireside Project ships an update every 8 months, ALTERD fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fireside Project | ALTERD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fireside-project/id1579224953/reviews)** | [4.7 (728 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alterd-expand-consciousness/id6743177039/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 47 | **728** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 63.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 57 MB | 182 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Fireside Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776913454) | [ALTERD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801808019) |

## What reviewers say

### Fireside Project

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fireside-project/id1579224953)

This app provides immediate, free support for individuals experiencing psychedelic trips or seeking to discuss past experiences. Connect instantly via call or text to trained volunteers. Established in 2021, it has assisted over 28,000 users.

**Highlights:** Free Psychedelic Hotline, Instant Call/Text Connection, Support for Current Trips, Discussion of Past Trips, Trained Volunteers, Established Support Network

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ALTERD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alterd-expand-consciousness/id6743177039)

This AI-powered app offers a private space for exploring altered states of consciousness through journaling and community interaction. It provides AI analysis of your thoughts for personal growth, creativity, and self-understanding, alongside educational resources and harm reduction guides.

**Highlights:** AI-powered journaling, State-aware thought capture, AI insight summaries, Anonymous community feed, Knowledge hub with educational content, Harm reduction guides

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ALTERD Premium Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PREMIUM monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| ALTERD Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| ALTERD Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| ALTERD Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| ALTERD Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| ALTERD Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| ALTERD Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| ALTERD Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| ALTERD Yearly | $76.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Incredible app with a supportive community
- 👍 Authentic and represents the human experience
- 🚀 Transformative for mindfulness, creativity, and personal growth
- 👍 Allows users to be seen, heard, and respected without judgment
- 👍 Continuous improvements and great developer responsiveness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Wish there was a way to search and add users as friends
- 🤖 AI insights could use further improvements

**Reported bugs**

- No AI insights generated for some users

**Requested features**

- Search and add users as friends
- Improve AI insights quality and frequency


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fireside Project free?

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

### Is ALTERD free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fireside Project or ALTERD?

Fireside Project is rated higher. Fireside Project averages 4.9 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while ALTERD averages 4.7 from 728 ratings.

### Do Fireside Project or ALTERD have ads?

Neither Fireside Project nor ALTERD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fireside Project or ALTERD?

Fireside Project ships an update every 8 months, and ALTERD fortnightly. Most recently, Fireside Project was updated on November 3, 2026 and ALTERD on November 4, 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.*