Comparison

Backcast vs VIR.GROUP

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

Head to head
About

Backcast

This platform connects users to share visionary ideas and transform them into actionable research themes. Engage in discussions within specialized forums, contribute your insights, or create your own topic to foster collective intelligence and collaboration.

Highlights
  • Explore 'Trees of Interest' forums
  • Engage in discussions and share insights
  • Create and manage your own topic trees
  • Personalized content feed
  • Connect with users for collaboration
  • Develop actionable research themes
Features
Read full description

Join a community of thinkers, dreamers, and performers in Backcast, the pioneering platform designed to turn your visionary wishes, no matter how big or small, into actionable research themes and technological breakthroughs. Your ideas are the sparks that ignite change, and with Backcast, we bring them to life! How to use this app: 1. Explore Trees of Interest: Begin by searching for keywords that align with your interests. This will display 'trees' - our unique forums where specific themes are discussed. In these trees, you can engage in rich conversations about visions, approaches, and technologies with a community of individuals with a common interest. 2. Share Your Thoughts: Join any tree that resonates with your ideas and contribute your thoughts. Your insights and perspectives are valuable in shaping the collective understanding of the theme. 3. Create Your Own Tree: Have a vision for a specific future? Start your own tree and invite others to add their ideas and insights. Your tree is a space for nurturing and growing concepts that can one day become reality. 4. Personalised Feed: Your home screen feed will present you with topics, discussions in trees, and comments based on the tags you've selected. This tailored experience ensures you're always in the loop with discussions that matter most to you. 5. Connect and Collaborate: Found individuals whose technology interests align with your company's goals? Follow them, connect, and start a conversation. Backcast is not just about sharing ideas; it's a gateway to meaningful collaborations and partnerships. 6. Backcast is more than an app – it's a movement towards a future shaped by collective intelligence and shared visions. Join us, share your ideas, and be part of the change you wish to see in the world. Why I am developing this app: I want to be a researcher who develops technology that will impact the world. However, I need to know what will be required in the future to conduct impactful research. Otherwise, I will not be able to formulate sound research themes. If you become a researcher directly from a university, you will have more difficulty grasping the world's needs than someone working in a company. On the other hand, if you work for a company after leaving university, you may worry about falling behind as a researcher during that period. I decided to plan this application to solve this problem and to create a system that makes it easier for university researchers to formulate research themes that will lead to solutions to future issues in the world. I used the backcasting method as a reference. This is a method of thinking about what a particular area (e.g., physical health, environmentally friendly transportation) should look like in the future (e.g., 10 or 20 years from now), what approaches are needed to realise that ideal image, and what technologies will be required to learn those approaches. The "what technology is needed" part is the research theme that will contribute to the world. However, I also learnt that this method of backcasting is complex. If you think only about yourself and those close to you, you will think about the ideal future that affirms what you want to do and be biased. Therefore, I decided to create this application, thinking that it would be a good idea if we could create a mechanism to share our ideas of what we believe the future should look like, the approaches and technologies to reach them, and then widely exchange opinions.

About

VIR.GROUP

Features
Read full description

VIR Group is a professional platform for investors, entrepreneurs, and business analysts who want to stay ahead of market developments and connect with like-minded professionals. WHAT YOU GET WITH VIR GROUP: ● Live Business Feed Follow real-time news, market insights, and company updates curated for investors and business professionals. Filter by industry, region, or topic to focus on what matters to you. ● Investor Community Join a growing network of entrepreneurs, venture investors, and business analysts. Share ideas, discuss market trends, and find strategic partners for your projects. ● Project Collaboration Post your business projects, find co-founders, or discover investment opportunities. Our matching system connects you with the right people based on industry and goals. ● Secure Messaging Built-in encrypted chat and group discussions. Communicate with your business contacts privately and efficiently — all within the app. ● AI Assistant Get instant answers to business and investment questions powered by AI. Analyze market data, draft proposals, or research industries without leaving the app. ● Deals & Opportunities Browse verified business listings, partnership proposals, and M&A opportunities posted by platform members. WHO IS VIR GROUP FOR: — Private investors looking for deal flow and market intelligence — Startup founders seeking co-founders, advisors, and early investors — Business analysts tracking sectors and company performance — Entrepreneurs building professional networks in their industry VIR Group is built for serious professionals. No noise — only business. Privacy Policy: https://vir.group/privacy Terms of Use: https://vir.group/terms EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Backcast4 screens
VIR.GROUP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backcast at none against VIR.GROUP's 6. Backcast also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. VIR.GROUP sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Backcast asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backcast ships an update every 5 weeks, VIR.GROUP every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Backcast versus VIR.GROUP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackcastVIR.GROUP
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB65 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHikari SuwaVR-GROUP

In-app purchases

None

Backcast

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

VIR.GROUP

Subscriptions2
  • VIR Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • VIR Premium Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time4
  • Project Publishing$18.99
  • 20 VIR Credits$79.99
  • 50 VIR Credits$199.99
Show 1 more
  • 100 VIR Credits$399.99

Questions

Is Backcast free?
Backcast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VIR.GROUP free?
VIR.GROUP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Backcast or VIR.GROUP have ads?
Neither Backcast nor VIR.GROUP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backcast or VIR.GROUP?
Backcast ships an update every 5 weeks, and VIR.GROUP every 4 weeks. Most recently, Backcast was updated on October 27, 2026 and VIR.GROUP on October 30, 2026.

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