Comparison

The Midst vs Heatwave Social

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

Head to head
About

The Midst

A location-based social network where posts are tied to your current location and visible globally. Share experiences, discover new places through check-ins, and build wish lists of interesting spots. Posts are temporary, ensuring fresh content.

Highlights
  • Location-based posting
  • Global map view
  • 24-hour post expiration
  • Check-in functionality
  • Wish list creation
  • Anonymous posting option
  • Age verification
Read full description

The Midst is a location-based social network and life logging app. Posting to The Midst drops a pin at your current location and is visible to anyone in the world. Pan the map to see what's happening around the world. Posts expire after 24 hours, ensuring information remains relevant and up-to-date. Check-in: Have you stumbled upon a fantastic new food truck or a great coffee shop? Check-in by tapping a place on the map. Check-ins can be public by also posting to The Midst, or choose to only save check-ins to your Saved Places list. Wish List: Did someone check in at a place you find interesting? Tap the pin on the map in The Midst and add that location to your Wish List. Saved places and wish list items are saved in the Check In tab. Some regions now require age verification for social apps. The Midst uses Apple’s Declared Age Range verification to meet these regulations while protecting your privacy. Verification is a one-time, on-device check using the age information already stored in your iCloud account. We only receive a yes/no confirmation that you meet the age requirement. The Midst never sees, stores, or transmits your birthday or actual age. The Midst uses Apple's standard end user license agreement (EULA) which can be viewed here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ View our privacy policy here: https://www.themidstapp.com/privacy-policy.

About

Heatwave Social

This social media app features blurred posts that gradually reveal as users interact. Build anticipation for your content and connect with others through shared discovery and private chats.

Highlights
  • Blurred posts revealed by user interaction
  • Anticipation-driven content sharing
  • Instant unlocking with tokens
  • Private chat upon unlocking
  • Screenshot protection
  • Trending content discovery
Read full description

Some moments are worth the wait. On Heatwave, every post starts blurred, and it takes everyone bringing the heat to unlock it. No mindless scrolling through everything at once. The reveal is something you earn together, and the wait is what makes it hit. A photo dump becomes an event. A drop becomes a countdown. An announcement becomes something people actually show up for. A new kind of social media. Built on anticipation, made for connection. Set the bar. You decide how many flames it takes to reveal your post. Spark it. When the flames add up, the blur burns away for everyone who brought the heat. Skip the line. Spend tokens to unlock any post instantly. Start a conversation. Instant unlocking also opens a private chat with whoever posted. Stay protected. Screenshots are blocked, so what you share stays yours. See what's hot. Trending shows what's catching fire right now. And when a post finally burns open, you find out exactly who showed up for it. The best stuff is behind the blur. Download Heatwave.

Screenshots

The Midst4 screens
Heatwave Social4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Heatwave Social at 15.0 against The Midst's 27.0. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. The Midst sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Heatwave Social sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The Midst against 5.0 for Heatwave Social. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Midst ships an update every 4 weeks, Heatwave Social every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
The Midst versus Heatwave Social: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe MidstHeatwave Social
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS27.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB115 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDan O'LearyHeatwave Social Inc.

Customer experience

The Midst

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Heatwave Social

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

The Midst

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
3 purchases

Heatwave Social

One-time3
  • 3 Flame Tokens$3.99
  • 10 Flame Tokens$9.99
  • 25 Flame Tokens$19.99

Questions

Is The Midst free?
The Midst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heatwave Social free?
Heatwave Social is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Midst or Heatwave Social?
The Midst and Heatwave Social are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do The Midst or Heatwave Social have ads?
Neither The Midst nor Heatwave Social shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Midst or Heatwave Social?
The Midst ships an update every 4 weeks, and Heatwave Social every 5 weeks. Most recently, The Midst was updated on October 24, 2026 and Heatwave Social on October 24, 2026.

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