# Hotbed vs Cheqmate.

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cheqmate. at weekly against Hotbed's every 3 months. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hotbed against 5.0 for Cheqmate.. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 9 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Hotbed ships an update every 3 months, Cheqmate. weekly. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hotbed | Cheqmate. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotbed/id6746795538/reviews) | [5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cheqmate/id6762467934/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 420 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Eyes In The Skies Creative Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1818552771) | [Akwi Ohiaeri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894263198) |

## What reviewers say

### Hotbed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotbed/id6746795538)

Discover real-time city activity with a live heat map. Filter locations by demographics like age, gender, education, and income. Plan your visits to avoid crowds and find popular spots, whether for social outings or practical errands.

**Highlights:** Live city heat map, Filterable demographic insights, Historical and real-time data, Future visit forecasting, Crowd avoidance planning, Location popularity insights

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cheqmate.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cheqmate/id6762467934)

Discover real-time activity in your city through live photos and videos from users at various locations. Ask questions to people on-site for instant intel on crowds, wait times, and the general vibe. Connect with friends who are also out and explore new places.

**Highlights:** Live map of city activity, Real-time photos and videos, Ask questions to users on-site, See friends' current locations, Explore new venues, Anonymized check-ins

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hotbed free?

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

### Is Cheqmate. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hotbed or Cheqmate.?

Hotbed and Cheqmate. are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 9 ratings respectively.

### Do Hotbed or Cheqmate. have ads?

Neither Hotbed nor Cheqmate. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hotbed or Cheqmate.?

Hotbed ships an update every 3 months, and Cheqmate. weekly. Most recently, Hotbed was updated on November 5, 2026 and Cheqmate. on November 5, 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.*