# Sugar vs Column Social

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sugar at none against Column Social's 10. Sugar also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Column Social's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Column Social sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month. Sugar asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sugar ships an update every 2 days, Column Social every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sugar | Column Social |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sugar-chat-beyond-the-bubble/id6470037899/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **10** | — |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 283 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [amo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687141253) | [Column Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605214840) |

## What reviewers say

### Sugar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sugar-chat-beyond-the-bubble/id6470037899)

Express yourself beyond standard chat bubbles with a unique canvas for text, images, GIFs, and drawings. Personalize your conversations with custom text styles or traditional bubbles. Turn your messages into art with this innovative social experience.

**Highlights:** Unlimited canvas for messages, Add text, images, GIFs, and videos, Freehand drawing tools, Customizable text styles, Traditional chat bubble option

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Innovative concept
- 👍 Fun and refreshing social experience
- 💡 Unique way to interact with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Forced access to contacts
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🤔 Unclear value proposition
- 😕 Frustrating onboarding process

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Crashes and freezes
- Disappearing content
- Unresponsive controls

**Requested features**

- Add ability to delete content
- Improve navigation and UI
- Expand customization options
- Allow sign-up without inviting friends


### Column Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/column-social/id6502400180)

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medical Insights Hub | $1.00 | per month |
| Design Inspiration | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Water | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Concrete | $1.00 | per month |
| Studio Visit | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Katerva | $1.00 | per month |
| Oceans & Reefs | $1.00 | per month |
| Fun Learning | $5.00 | per month |
| Market Megatrends | $5.00 | per month |
| Eternal September | $19.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sugar free?

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

### Is Column Social free?

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

### Do Sugar or Column Social have ads?

Column Social shows ads; Sugar does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sugar or Column Social?

Sugar ships an update every 2 days, and Column Social every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sugar was updated on November 4, 2026 and Column Social 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.*