# Groups vs A2Z Groups

The clearest difference is monetization model: Groups at free with in-app purchases against A2Z Groups's subscription. Groups also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). A2Z Groups's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Groups sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and A2Z Groups sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

A2Z Groups holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.9K and 3.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Groups's written reviews are positive against 82% of A2Z Groups's.

Groups ships an update every 8 days, A2Z Groups every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Groups | A2Z Groups |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (4.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groups/id407855546/reviews) | **[4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a2z-groups/id622492105/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.9K** | 3.9K |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | **81.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 146 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Qbix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/406865714) | [Playa Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/449814913) |

## What reviewers say

### Groups

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groups/id407855546)

This app transforms your phone's contacts into a private social network. Organize people, share updates, and stay connected without sharing your data with large tech companies. It offers features for communication, event planning, and contact management.

**Highlights:** Organize contacts into custom groups, Set reminders to reach out, Send personalized group messages, Create events and invite guests, Share content from any app, Data privacy focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $0.99 | per month |
| Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Turn off Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Turn off Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| + 500 icons | $5.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Features | $5.99 | one-time |
| + I just like your app | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Features | $9.99 | one-time |
| + I just like your app | $14.99 | one-time |
| + I really love your app! | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for organizing contacts
- 🚀 Efficient for group messaging
- 👍 Customizable groups

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable sync and data loss
- 🐛 Buggy updates
- 👎 Poor customer support
- 👎 Confusing UI changes

**Reported bugs**

- Groups disappearing
- Contacts not syncing properly
- Inability to create new groups
- Freezing and crashing on certain actions

**Requested features**

- Ability to delete groups and contacts
- Improved group management and sorting
- Option to send mass texts without individual replies
- Better integration with native contacts app


### A2Z Groups

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a2z-groups/id622492105)

Manage your contacts and send messages or emails to groups efficiently. Organize contacts, create custom groups, and send personalized mass communications. Features include backups, birthday reminders, and contact sharing.

**Highlights:** Create and manage contact groups, Send mass texts and group emails, Backup and restore contacts, Birthday and anniversary notifications, Share and export contacts, Clone contacts and groups

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (1 Year) | $0.99 | per year |
| Premium (Lifetime Access) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Make Contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| Larger Contribution | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient group messaging
- 💡 Helpful for organizing contacts
- 🔒 Reliable privacy policy
- 👍 Customizable groups

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🐛 Issues with message delivery
- 🐛 Syncing problems after updates
- 🐛 Duplicate contacts
- 🐛 Disappearing notes/data

**Reported bugs**

- Contacts being deleted unexpectedly
- Inability to save contact information
- Syncing issues with Google/Outlook contacts
- Unreliable group messaging

**Requested features**

- Scheduled messaging
- Improved group management
- Better integration with native Contacts app
- Map feature
- Birthdays/anniversaries tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Groups free?

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

### Is A2Z Groups free?

A2Z Groups is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Groups or A2Z Groups?

A2Z Groups is rated higher. Groups averages 4.2 out of 5 from 4.9K ratings, while A2Z Groups averages 4.6 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do Groups or A2Z Groups have ads?

Groups shows ads; A2Z Groups does not.

### Which is updated more often, Groups or A2Z Groups?

Groups ships an update every 8 days, and A2Z Groups every 3 weeks. Most recently, Groups was updated on September 23, 2026 and A2Z Groups on September 24, 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.*