Comparison

BARFLi vs CIRCLES

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

Head to head
About

BARFLi

Connect with people at your local bar in real-time. See who's single, interested, and discover potential matches before approaching. Enhance your bar experience by blending online interaction with in-person dating.

Highlights
  • See who's single at the bar
  • Match with crushes across the room
  • Interactive map of bar patrons
  • Swipe through nearby users
  • In-app messaging
  • View match's favorite drink
  • Customize profile with preferences
Read full description

People date online, or they date at the bar. Never before has there been a hybrid solution to date online while you’re at the bar until now. Oftentimes bar goers will pull out their phones when they get bored with the other people at the bar, or to avoid looking weird or awkward in a crowd of strangers. Everyone does it, and everyone semi-hates themselves for doing it because they came to the bar to mix and mingle with the people on site. Traditional social and dating apps connect you with people all over the World while neglecting the people right in front of your face. BARFLi is here to solve the problem and redirect you back towards the people in the room when you pull out your phone. Fostering genuine connections. In the past the local bar or pub was the ideal place to go to meet new people. There were no dating apps that allowed you to interact while at home, and the concept of swipe right was all but unheard of. With the nearing of the present people have abandoned traditional dating at the bar in favor of a plethora of online dating options. Some of them on your computer, but most of them on your phone. BARFLi believes that people will return to the bar after end of all problems, but with a different skill set in the dating pool and expectations of an interaction that is both online and in person simultaneously. The BARFLi dating app allows you to see who’s single for the night, find out who’s interested in you, and match with your crush from across the room. You can use the interactive map to see how many men and women are at your bars of interest before you go out to avoid the sausage fest problem. You can use the card deck to swipe through the other people at the bar or neighboring bars on your smartphone, and you can use the chat module to message the love of your life and break the ice just before meeting him or her face to face in real time. With BARFLi you can know your match’s name, age, and favorite drink before you approach them so that it’s not so cold when you walk up and say hello. No more wondering if he’s attracted to you ladies, and no more debating if she has a boyfriend guys. BARFLi facilitates the dating scene at the bar by providing you with just in time information about the other patrons and socialites that you're partying with. Fellas, with BARFLi you will never get rejected because she’s taken already. The app will tell you who’s single and who wants you to approach them before you risk the chance of public rejection and humiliation. BARFLi reduces the fear of approaching strangers cold at the bar. Ladies, No more missed opportunities because he’s unaware that you want him to buy you a drink. The app will show him you’re interested by prompting the match. You can customize your experience by uploading profile pictures of yourself. Along with your favorite drink, cocktail, and cuisine. You can make yourself invisible at the bar, or available for all to see. You can choose the characteristics of your ideal date based on their age, gender, and specialty tastes. You can communicate with people in nearby bars that are walking distance away by expanding your search radius and matching with people at the pub across the street. BARFLi has everything you would expect and need from a social dating app that’s designed to be used at the bar. BARFLi provides a safe and effective way for you to see who’s at the bar with mutual interest to you without having to walk around aimlessly in circles from one corner of the room to the next. It turns strangers into acquaintances, acquaintances into friends, and friends into loved ones. The app makes dating at the bar easier, more efficient, safer, and more fun for everyone involved. Subscriptions are affordable and simple to understand. They give you a pass to see who liked you without having to match with them, and allow you multiple super likes on a recurring nightly basis. Welcome to the Digital Bar.

About

CIRCLES

Connect with other friend groups to make plans and create memories. Discover and match with squads of up to four for social outings, from nights out to trips.

Highlights
  • Form squads of up to four
  • Discover and match with other squads
  • Plan group outings and activities
  • Facilitate social connections
  • Expand your social circle
Features
Read full description

Circles is here to revolutionize the way we make plans, from electrifying night outs to cozy double dates, exhilarating ski trips, or simply grabbing a bite with new friends. Our innovative approach encourages you to team up with your friends, forming squads of up to four, to discover and match with other squads. It's about creating memories, sharing laughs, and enjoying the moment in a setting that feels familiar and exciting at the same time. Circles believes in the power of group dynamics to foster genuine connections and unforgettable moments. By moving away from the traditional one-on-one meetups, we open the door to a world where socializing feels natural, and every meet is a chance to expand your circle and experiences. You are already going out with your friends anyway in search of meeting other friend groups out, so why not increase your exposure and have access to every friend group in your city at your fingertips :)

Screenshots

BARFLi4 screens
CIRCLES4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CIRCLES at none against BARFLi's 7. CIRCLES also leads on ratings volume (47 vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. BARFLi sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 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 BARFLi against 5.0 for CIRCLES. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CIRCLES has 47 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BARFLi ships an update fortnightly, CIRCLES weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and June 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BARFLi versus CIRCLES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBARFLiCIRCLES
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better5.0 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings547 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB81 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBARFLi Inc.Circles Social, Inc.

Customer experience

BARFLi

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

CIRCLES

All ratings47 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral2.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

BARFLi

Subscriptions4
  • Beginner Plan for subscribers$19.991 Month
  • 1month19.99$19.991 Month
  • Intermediate Plan$38.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Best Value Plan$47.991 Year
One-time3
  • super_like_05$2.99
  • super_like_barfli_10$9.99
  • super_like_barfli_18$17.99
None

CIRCLES

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BARFLi free?
BARFLi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CIRCLES free?
CIRCLES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BARFLi or CIRCLES?
BARFLi is rated higher. BARFLi averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while CIRCLES averages 5.0 from 47 ratings.
Do BARFLi or CIRCLES have ads?
Neither BARFLi nor CIRCLES shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BARFLi or CIRCLES?
BARFLi ships an update fortnightly, and CIRCLES weekly. Most recently, BARFLi was updated on June 5, 2026 and CIRCLES on June 8, 2026.

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