# Passboards vs BuddyWave

The clearest difference is ads: Passboards at none against BuddyWave's shown. Passboards also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). BuddyWave's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Passboards against 5.0 for BuddyWave. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Passboards has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Passboards ships an update every 2 days, BuddyWave weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Passboards | BuddyWave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passboards/id1641021903/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddywave-voice-diary-log/id6462850351/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Passboards, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641021905) | [tsubasa ichiba](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467518895) |

## What reviewers say

### Passboards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passboards/id1641021903)

This app offers a collaborative platform for sharing events, experiences, and ideas. Create shared 'boards' with up to 100 contributors, post unlimited media in original quality, and connect with friends and family in a more creative and unrestricted way.

**Highlights:** Collaborative boards with up to 100 contributors, Unlimited media posting, Original quality image export, Public and private board options, Activity-based feed, Direct sharing to Instagram stories

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### BuddyWave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddywave-voice-diary-log/id6462850351)

Record and share audio diary entries with friends and family. Preserve daily events and emotions as voice memos, create private sharing spaces, and react to friends' recordings. Ideal for those who find writing tedious or want to share moments easily.

**Highlights:** Record audio diary entries, Create private sharing spaces (WaveRooms), Post short audio clips (Waves), React to friends' recordings, Schedule audio posts, Receive notifications for activity

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Passboards free?

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

### Is BuddyWave free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Passboards or BuddyWave?

Passboards and BuddyWave are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 18 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Passboards or BuddyWave have ads?

BuddyWave shows ads; Passboards does not.

### Which is updated more often, Passboards or BuddyWave?

Passboards ships an update every 2 days, and BuddyWave weekly. Most recently, Passboards was updated on October 27, 2026 and BuddyWave on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*