# Gather vs Arcarae

The clearest difference is update cadence: Arcarae at every 5 days against Gather's every 6 weeks. Arcarae also leads on ratings volume (225 vs 32). Gather's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gather sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Arcarae sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Gather holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arcarae has 225 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Gather's written reviews are positive against 83% of Arcarae's.

Gather ships an update every 6 weeks, Arcarae every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gather | Arcarae |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-handheld-curiosity/id6468843059/reviews)** | [4.8 (225 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcarae/id6642661163/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **225** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 83.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Spencer Chang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708138525) | [Arcarae, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704227019) |

## What reviewers say

### Gather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-handheld-curiosity/id6468843059)

Capture and organize your ideas, moments, and inspirations with a multimedia field recorder. This privacy-focused app allows quick collection of text, images, and videos, with offline functionality and on-device storage.

**Highlights:** Offline functionality, Privacy-focused, no ads or tracking, Quick multimedia capture, Organize and connect notes, Review moments in a feed, Are.na integration, Open-source

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gather Contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $12.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $34.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $59.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $99.99 | one-time |


### Arcarae

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcarae/id6642661163)

Explore your inner world through guided AI journeys. Uncover hidden patterns and gain deeper self-understanding as your personal galaxy evolves with each session. Transform reflection into intention and discover who you are becoming.

**Highlights:** Guided AI journeys, Inner pattern discovery, Personalized galaxy evolution, Three distinct exploration realms, Insight Stars and constellations, Aurae for deeper exploration

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chrysalis Membership (Weekly) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Chrysalis Membership (Monthly) | $29.99 | per month |
| Metamorphosis Membership | $90.00 | per month |
| Crescent Arc Pass - Yearly | $350.00 | per year |
| 111 Aurae | $1.99 | one-time |
| 333 Aurae | $2.99 | one-time |
| 777 Aurae | $5.99 | one-time |
| 999 Aurae | $7.99 | one-time |
| 2222 Aurae | $16.99 | one-time |
| 8888 Aurae | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Mesmerizing and surreal experience
- 💖 Deeply comforting and safe
- 🌌 Unique and one-of-a-kind
- 💡 Thought-provoking and insightful
- 🌟 Beautifully designed and ethereal UI/UX

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- ❓ Confusing at times
- 🐌 Can be laggy
- 🗣️ Verbose responses

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Consumes power too quickly
- Locked out for voicing opinions (reported in past update)
- Cannot sign up/login, error messages
- Email login not working

**Requested features**

- Improve responsiveness and optimization
- Ability to toggle response length for ADHD users
- Differentiate new insights with a different color glow
- Feedback loop for insights to improve the system
- Morning or nightly check-in functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gather free?

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

### Is Arcarae free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gather or Arcarae?

Gather is rated higher. Gather averages 5.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Arcarae averages 4.8 from 225 ratings.

### Do Gather or Arcarae have ads?

Neither Gather nor Arcarae shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gather or Arcarae?

Gather ships an update every 6 weeks, and Arcarae every 5 days. Most recently, Gather was updated on November 3, 2026 and Arcarae on November 4, 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.*