# Seagull IM vs bbcircle

The clearest difference is rating: bbcircle at 5.0 against Seagull IM's 3.6. bbcircle also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). Seagull IM's advantage is ratings volume (46 vs 2). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Seagull IM sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. bbcircle asks for nothing beyond the download.

bbcircle holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seagull IM has 46 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Seagull IM's written reviews are positive against 100% of bbcircle's.

Seagull IM ships an update every 2 weeks, bbcircle every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Seagull IM | bbcircle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seagull-im/id1584062834/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbcircle/id6760898226/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **46** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 234 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chengdu zhengdu Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504601973) | [B Circle LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886682840) |

## What reviewers say

### Seagull IM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seagull-im/id1584062834)

This app offers secure, private, and efficient instant messaging with end-to-end encryption. Communicate via text, voice, or video calls, and enjoy features like screenshot notifications and bidirectional deletion for enhanced privacy and control.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Voice and video calls, Screenshot notifications, Bidirectional message deletion, Large group chat management, Application lock

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 海鸥1个月靓号服务券 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥3个月靓号服务券 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-1个月 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥6个月靓号服务券 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥12个月靓号服务券 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-3个月 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $47.99 | one-time |
| 欧币 | $59.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥 | $69.99 | one-time |
| 海鸥会员-12个月 | $99.99 | one-time |
| 1298元欧币 | $199.99 | one-time |


### bbcircle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbcircle/id6760898226)

This app helps manage contacts and messages with advanced privacy features. It allows users to organize chats, protect group members, and secure all communications with end-to-end encryption. Users can also manage login devices and control privacy settings for their data.

**Highlights:** Contact ID lookup, Create product notes with media, Shareable photo albums, Cross-chat session links, Message and tag grouping, Group member protection, End-to-end encrypted messaging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Seagull IM free?

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

### Is bbcircle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Seagull IM or bbcircle?

bbcircle is rated higher. Seagull IM averages 3.6 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while bbcircle averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Seagull IM or bbcircle have ads?

Seagull IM shows ads; bbcircle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Seagull IM or bbcircle?

Seagull IM ships an update every 2 weeks, and bbcircle every 3 days. Most recently, Seagull IM was updated on October 18, 2026 and bbcircle on October 13, 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.*