# CaringBridge vs BuyNothing

The clearest difference is rating: CaringBridge at 4.9 against BuyNothing's 4.3. CaringBridge also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 27%) and in-app purchases (none vs 8). BuyNothing's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and chart position (#209 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. CaringBridge asks for nothing beyond the download.

CaringBridge holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CaringBridge has 19K ratings behind it against 2.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of CaringBridge's written reviews are positive against 27% of BuyNothing's.

CaringBridge ships an update monthly, BuyNothing every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CaringBridge | BuyNothing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caringbridge/id365726944/reviews)** | [4.3 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | **63.0% of reviews** | 26.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#209** |
| Size | 65 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [CaringBridge.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/365726947) | [Buy Nothing Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557679961) |

## What reviewers say

### CaringBridge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caringbridge/id365726944)

This platform offers a private, ad-free space for family caregivers to share updates and coordinate care for loved ones on a health journey. It fosters a supportive community, helping to alleviate feelings of isolation and overwhelm by connecting people through shared experiences.

**Highlights:** Private, ad-free health journey platform, Share updates with everyone at once, Document health journey progress, Coordinate care with family and friends, Connect with a supportive community

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Helpful for keeping loved ones updated
- 📢 Effective communication tool
- 🕰️ Saves time from repeated updates
- 🤝 Brings community support
- 🗓️ Useful journal/record of journey

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, glitchy app
- 🤔 Confusing/misleading donation wording
- 👨‍💻 Not user-friendly, needs UI improvements
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate/find information

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing/crashing issues
- Inability to view recent updates
- Sharing/linking functionality problems
- Inconsistent behavior across platforms

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and performance
- Clarify donation process and usage
- Enhance user experience and navigation
- Provide better notification system


### BuyNothing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959)

**Currently charting:** #209 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with your local community to give, receive, share, lend, and borrow items. This app fosters a gift economy, building connections through sharing, inspired by the BuyNothing® Project.

**Highlights:** Give and receive items locally, Lend and borrow goods, Hyper-local community sharing, Gift economy model, Build community connections, Express gratitude

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $5.49 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $6.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $38.49 | per year |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $38.49 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $54.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Friendly community interactions
- ♻️ Promotes sustainability and reducing waste
- 🌍 Global reach beyond local groups
- 🏠 Hyper-local focus when set up properly
- 📦 Smooth gifting and receiving process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
- 📍 Difficulty filtering for local posts
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 💬 Inconsistent notifications and messaging
- 💰 Paywall for key features

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login issues and inability to reset passwords
- Inconsistent location settings and radius
- Unreliable notifications and messaging
- Inability to edit or update posts

**Requested features**

- Search function to find specific posts
- Ability to edit and update posts
- Improved organization and sorting of posts
- Syncing across multiple devices
- More robust moderation and community tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CaringBridge free?

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

### Is BuyNothing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CaringBridge or BuyNothing?

CaringBridge is rated higher. CaringBridge averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while BuyNothing averages 4.3 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do CaringBridge or BuyNothing have ads?

Neither CaringBridge nor BuyNothing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CaringBridge or BuyNothing?

CaringBridge ships an update monthly, and BuyNothing every 2 weeks. Most recently, CaringBridge was updated on October 19, 2026 and BuyNothing on October 19, 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.*