# Buddy vs ThirdPlaces

Buddy and ThirdPlaces are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Buddy ships an update every 6 days, ThirdPlaces weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | ThirdPlaces |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-instant-messaging/id6757757349/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **10** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 101 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [KNNK Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868715282) | [Dewanshu Gautam](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875159887) |

## What reviewers say

### Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-instant-messaging/id6757757349)

Experience the joy of classic instant messaging with live chat rooms. Connect with new people, join communities based on your interests, and engage in real conversations without the pressure of feeds.

**Highlights:** Live chat rooms, Community discovery, Customizable profiles, Buddy list management, Away messages, Mood expression

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ThirdPlaces

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thirdplaces/id6758818391)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is ThirdPlaces free?

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

### Do Buddy or ThirdPlaces have ads?

Neither Buddy nor ThirdPlaces shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or ThirdPlaces?

Buddy ships an update every 6 days, and ThirdPlaces weekly. Most recently, Buddy was updated on November 5, 2026 and ThirdPlaces on November 9, 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.*