# Platebuds vs Join

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Platebuds at none against Join's 3. Platebuds also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Join sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Platebuds asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Platebuds against 5.0 for Join. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Platebuds ships an update every 9 days, Join every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Platebuds | Join |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/platebuds/id6754364050/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/join-me-in/id6761438543/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 71 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mokabyte AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800872412) | [Joinmenow Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889615349) |

## What reviewers say

### Platebuds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/platebuds/id6754364050)

Connect with people nearby to share spontaneous meals and discover new restaurants. Host or join small groups for intimate dining experiences, fostering genuine connections over food.

**Highlights:** Interactive map of nearby dining groups, Join or host groups of 2-4 people, User ratings for hosts and participants, Attendance tracking for reliability, In-app group chat for coordination, Phone verification for enhanced trust

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Join

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/join-me-in/id6761438543)

Connect with others, share your moments, and discover content in a secure and private social environment. Create and share events, engage in real-time chat, and follow your favorite creators.

**Highlights:** Create and share events, Real-time chat and messaging, Follow creators, Explore content, Secure and private experience

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $19.99 | per month |
| Growth | $49.99 | per month |
| Premium | $99.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Platebuds free?

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

### Is Join free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Platebuds or Join?

Platebuds and Join are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Platebuds or Join have ads?

Neither Platebuds nor Join shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Platebuds or Join?

Platebuds ships an update every 9 days, and Join every 3 weeks. Most recently, Platebuds was updated on October 21, 2026 and Join on October 17, 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.*