# Buddy vs Dear World

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Buddy at none against Dear World's 3. Buddy also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dear World sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Buddy against 5.0 for Dear World. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buddy has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Buddy ships an update every 6 days, Dear World every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buddy | Dear World |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddy-instant-messaging/id6757757349/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-world-anonymous-diary/id6762068268/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 101 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [KNNK Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868715282) | [Jeremy Cortez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892695752) |

## 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


### Dear World

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-world-anonymous-diary/id6762068268)

Share your deepest thoughts anonymously with others worldwide. Read unfiltered stories, send virtual hugs, and connect with people through shared experiences in a judgment-free space.

**Highlights:** Anonymous diary entries, Global story sharing, Receive unfiltered stories, Send virtual hugs, Anonymous replies, Customizable avatar, Friend connections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buddy free?

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

### Is Dear World free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Buddy or Dear World?

Buddy and Dear World are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Buddy or Dear World have ads?

Neither Buddy nor Dear World shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buddy or Dear World?

Buddy ships an update every 6 days, and Dear World every 4 days. Most recently, Buddy was updated on October 31, 2026 and Dear World on October 28, 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.*