Comparison

Circles vs The Midst

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

Head to head
About

Circles

A private social network designed for close-knit groups like families or teams. It offers a secure space for interaction with features like posts, comments, and custom avatars, free from ads and data selling.

Highlights
  • Private group interaction
  • Posts and threaded comments
  • Custom avatar creator
  • Member lists
  • Email invitations
  • Ad-free experience
Features
Read full description

The mini, subscription-based, private social network for your group, family, team, squad and besties to interact in a personal, private, and secure manner without ads, targeting or data brokers bidding on your personal information. Our mini social network currently includes the following features; - Posts - Threaded comments - Custom avatar maker - Members List - Email invite system We're free while in Early Access and will introduce a lightweight subscription soon. In order to truly be a private, subscription based, social network, we promise to never ever sell ads, manipulate your feed or sell your personal data to a third party. To create a Circle all you need is for one member of your group to sponsor it, and that's it; no ads, no targeting, no silly business.

About

The Midst

A location-based social network where posts are tied to your current location and visible globally. Share experiences, discover new places through check-ins, and build wish lists of interesting spots. Posts are temporary, ensuring fresh content.

Highlights
  • Location-based posting
  • Global map view
  • 24-hour post expiration
  • Check-in functionality
  • Wish list creation
  • Anonymous posting option
  • Age verification
Read full description

The Midst is a location-based social network and life logging app. Posting to The Midst drops a pin at your current location and is visible to anyone in the world. Pan the map to see what's happening around the world. Posts expire after 24 hours, ensuring information remains relevant and up-to-date. Check-in: Have you stumbled upon a fantastic new food truck or a great coffee shop? Check-in by tapping a place on the map. Check-ins can be public by also posting to The Midst, or choose to only save check-ins to your Saved Places list. Wish List: Did someone check in at a place you find interesting? Tap the pin on the map in The Midst and add that location to your Wish List. Saved places and wish list items are saved in the Check In tab. Some regions now require age verification for social apps. The Midst uses Apple’s Declared Age Range verification to meet these regulations while protecting your privacy. Verification is a one-time, on-device check using the age information already stored in your iCloud account. We only receive a yes/no confirmation that you meet the age requirement. The Midst never sees, stores, or transmits your birthday or actual age. The Midst uses Apple's standard end user license agreement (EULA) which can be viewed here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ View our privacy policy here: https://www.themidstapp.com/privacy-policy.

Screenshots

Circles4 screens
The Midst4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Circles at none against The Midst's 2. Circles also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 27.0). The Midst's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. The Midst sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Circles asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Circles against 5.0 for The Midst. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, The Midst every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Circles versus The Midst: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCirclesThe Midst
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB37 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperMagnus SveinbjornssonDan O'Leary

Customer experience

Circles

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The Midst

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Circles

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

The Midst

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Circles free?
Circles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Midst free?
The Midst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Circles or The Midst?
Circles and The Midst are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Circles or The Midst have ads?
Neither Circles nor The Midst shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Circles or The Midst?
Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, and The Midst every 4 weeks. Most recently, Circles was updated on October 30, 2026 and The Midst on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons