Comparison

Sonder vs backward

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

Head to head
About

Sonder

Features
Read full description

**SONDER, DISCOVER GATHERINGS NEAR YOU** Sonder is the gathering platform to make genuine connections. With profiles that show your personality and event creation with photos, video, and voice, discover and create local events to find your perfect crowd. **HOW IS SONDER DIFFERENT FROM OTHER EVENT PLATFORMS** > Meet New People. Sonder helps you find mutual and compatible event attendees within your community. We recommend strangers with shared interests for you to invite to your gathering opening doors to new friendships > Stay Connected. Sonder connects you with event attendees after events, keeping you busy in the city. By automatically connecting with guests from past and current events, receive suggestions for future gathering ideas within your network > Highly Personalized. Sonder lets you create in-depth profiles using your information helping others learn about you and allowing us to curate your perfect list of events **WHAT IS SONDER** Sonder is built on the belief that real-life interactions are at the heart of cultivating genuine connection. Our platform is designed to facilitate gatherings to find new friends, help people live more fulfilling lives, and build deeper, more intentional relationships. **INFORMATION** Support: hostsonder.com Terms of Service: https://hungrii.com/terms-conditions/ Privacy Policy: https://hungrii.com/privacy/

About

backward

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Meeting new people shouldn't be awkward or forced. backward helps you connect with like-minded individuals in the places you already visit, from your neighbourhood bar to weekend events and everything in between. Simply tap the 'Meet' button when you're out and about, and discover who else is nearby and open to making new connections. Whether you're grabbing coffee, attending class, or exploring a new spot, you'll find people who share your interests and are genuinely looking to expand their social circle. Key Features: β€’ Let people nearby know that you are open to saying hi. Only people who are very close by (possibly within eye distance) will be able to send you a connection request. β€’ Connect with people who are also looking to expand their circle. β€’ Message users who accept your connection requests, but keep in mind, your messages are limited to encourage in-person engagement! β€’ Privacy controls - you decide when and where you're visible. Turn everyday outings into opportunities for meaningful connections. Download backward and start building new friendships today! Terms & Conditions: https://backward.dev/terms

Screenshots

Sonder4 screens
backward4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sonder at none against backward's 3. Sonder also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. backward sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Sonder asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sonder ships an update fortnightly, backward monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Sonder versus backward: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSonderbackward
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly β€” betterMonthly
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size43 MB40 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperHungrii Inc.16775501 Canada Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Sonder

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

backward

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$3.991 Month
  • Annual Pro$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Message Pack$0.99

Questions

Is Sonder free?
Sonder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is backward free?
backward is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sonder or backward have ads?
backward shows ads; Sonder does not.
Which is updated more often, Sonder or backward?
Sonder ships an update fortnightly, and backward monthly. Most recently, Sonder was updated on November 4, 2026 and backward on October 24, 2026.

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