Comparison

mssgs vs CircleMap

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

Head to head
About

mssgs

Features
Read full description

Your friends, all in one app. mssgs is where your people are: chat, call, go live, play games and see who's nearby, all in one place. Free, with no ads, no tracking and no algorithm deciding what you see. COMMUNITIES • Servers with channels, categories, roles and permissions • Voice rooms with push-to-talk, raise hand and a soundboard • Events with a list of who's coming, and reminders • Moderation that puts the community in charge: reports, mutes and bans CHAT YOUR WAY • Direct messages with streaks, voice memos, photos, albums, GIFs and stickers • Ghost mode: messages that disappear after they are read • One-time photos and videos that are gone once opened • Reactions, replies, polls, mentions and thousands of free stickers • Send any file, and translate any message • Hide finished chats in an archive behind Face ID or a passcode CALLS AND LIVE • Voice and video calls, one-on-one or with a group • End-to-end encrypted whenever everyone's app supports it, with a lock on screen that tells you • Share your screen, or go live for your friends LIVE MAP • See your friends on a live map, and only the friends you pick see you • Public stories on the map, where they were taken • My world: every country you've been to, on a globe • Stop sharing any time STORIES AND CAMERA • Stories for your friends, with face lenses, filters, stickers and text • Memories that only you see GAMES • Battleship, Four in a Row, Checkers, Snake, Word Guesser and more, right in the chat • Climb the Hall of fame, host a tournament, or invite a friend with a guest link MAKE IT YOURS • Nameplates, avatar frames and profile backgrounds from the decoration shop • Badges you earn, chat themes, and light or dark mode • Premium adds 60 fps screen sharing, 50 MB uploads, 5,000-character messages, extra communities, call reactions and more, paid with credits you buy in the app ON EVERY DEVICE • iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo, with your chats beside your list when it's open • Apple Watch: read and answer chats, browse stories from your wrist SAFE BY DESIGN • No ads and no tracking • Report or block anyone from anywhere, and moderators act on it • Protect your account with a passkey or backup codes

About

CircleMap

Stay connected with loved ones by sharing real-time locations, organizing private groups, and making voice calls. Offers emergency SOS features and customizable privacy controls for peace of mind.

Highlights
  • Real-time location sharing
  • Private circles for groups
  • In-app voice calls
  • Emergency SOS alerts
  • Customizable privacy controls
  • Temporary location sharing links
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Stay connected with the people who matter most. CircleMap lets you share your real-time location with family, friends, and trusted contacts, organized into private circles you control. REAL-TIME LOCATION SHARING See where your circle members are on a live map. Background location updates keep everyone informed, even when the app is closed. Motion-aware tracking automatically adjusts update frequency based on your activity to save battery. CIRCLES FOR EVERY GROUP Create separate circles for family, close friends, coworkers, or travel companions. Add members by phone number or invitation. Set up temporary circles that auto-expire for trips or events. VOICE CALLS Call any circle member directly from the app. Audio calls use peer-to-peer WebRTC for clear, low-latency conversations with native iOS call integration. IN-CIRCLE MESSAGING Send messages within any circle to coordinate plans, check in, or share updates without leaving the app. EMERGENCY SOS In an emergency, trigger an SOS alert that instantly sends your precise location to your emergency contacts via SMS and push notification. A 5-second countdown lets you cancel if triggered accidentally. PRIVACY YOU CONTROL - Turn location sharing on or off per circle - Switch between exact and approximate location (~1 km) - Set sharing schedules by day and time - See who viewed your location in the Activity Feed SHARE LOCATION LINKS Create a temporary link to share your location with anyone — no app required. Set a duration (1 hour to 7 days) and choose exact or approximate precision. Revoke anytime. OFFLINE READY Cached data keeps the app functional even without an internet connection. When you reconnect, everything syncs automatically. CIRCLEMAP PRO Upgrade for unlimited circles, unlimited members, 30-day location history, unlimited safe zones, driving reports, and more. Subscription options: - Monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscriptions - Payment charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Manage subscriptions in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions Terms of Use (EULA): https://circlemap.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://circlemap.io/privacy

Screenshots

mssgs4 screens
CircleMap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CircleMap at every 3 days against mssgs's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. mssgs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and CircleMap sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mssgs ships an update every 3 weeks, CircleMap every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
mssgs versus CircleMap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermssgsCircleMap
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB25 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperDeverence Group B.V.VidOpt LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

mssgs

One-time3
  • 5,000 credits$11.99
  • 15,000 credits$24.99
  • 25,000 credits$39.99
1 purchases

CircleMap

Subscriptions1
  • CircleMap Pro$4.991 Month

Questions

Is mssgs free?
mssgs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CircleMap free?
CircleMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do mssgs or CircleMap have ads?
Neither mssgs nor CircleMap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, mssgs or CircleMap?
mssgs ships an update every 3 weeks, and CircleMap every 3 days. Most recently, mssgs was updated on November 7, 2026 and CircleMap on November 5, 2026.

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