Comparison

Circles vs LinkUp IRL

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

LinkUp IRL

This app helps you turn spontaneous ideas into concrete plans with friends. Float a low-pressure 'who's down?' to gauge interest, then lock in details like time and place. It focuses on real friendships, not meeting strangers, with clear RSVPs and organized circles.

Highlights
  • Float 'Feelers' to gauge interest
  • Lock in plans with time and place
  • Organize friends into 'Circles'
  • See honest headcounts in real-time
  • Control plan visibility and reach
  • Live Activities and widgets for plans
  • Smart notifications for plan updates
Features
Read full description

Stop letting "we should hang out soon" die in the group chat. LinkUp turns a spontaneous idea into a real plan with the people you actually want to see. HOW IT WORKS Float a Feeler. Not ready to commit? Drop a Feeler, a low-pressure "who's down?" and see who's actually interested before you lock anything in. Make it a Plan. Once people are in, lock the details: time, place, headcount. Your Feeler becomes a Plan, and everyone knows it's really happening. Show up. RSVPs are clear and honest. See who's Down to Go and who's Locked In, so you always know who's actually coming. BUILT FOR REAL FRIENDSHIPS Circles: organize your people and invite the right crew for the right plan, every time. Honest headcounts: watch spots fill up in real time, from open to almost full to at capacity. Control your reach: choose plan visibility and keep your name off a plan within your circles when you want to stay low-key. Live Activities & widgets: keep your next plan on your Lock Screen and Home Screen so nothing slips. Smart notifications: get nudged when a Feeler heats up, a plan locks in, or it's time to head out. WHY LINKUP LinkUp is for making plans with the friends you already have, not for meeting strangers. You only see plans from people you're connected with. No noisy feeds. No fake invites to things you'll never attend. No endless "maybe." Just a fast, warm way to go from idea to in-person; link up, show up. LINKUP+ LinkUp is free to use. LinkUp+ is coming soon with extra features to plan more, with more people, and every founding member gets it free. Real plans. Real people. Download LinkUp and make the next one actually happen.

Screenshots

Circles4 screens
LinkUp IRL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: LinkUp IRL at every 3 weeks against Circles's every 6 weeks. Circles's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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 LinkUp IRL. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, LinkUp IRL every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Circles versus LinkUp IRL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCirclesLinkUp IRL
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB21 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperMagnus SveinbjornssonAppHus, LLC

Customer experience

Circles

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

LinkUp IRL

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

In-app purchases

None

Circles

No in-app purchases

None

LinkUp IRL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Circles free?
Circles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LinkUp IRL free?
LinkUp IRL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Circles or LinkUp IRL?
Circles and LinkUp IRL are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Circles or LinkUp IRL have ads?
Neither Circles nor LinkUp IRL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Circles or LinkUp IRL?
Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, and LinkUp IRL every 3 weeks. Most recently, Circles was updated on October 11, 2026 and LinkUp IRL on October 2, 2026.

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