Comparison

SobrCircle vs NearO

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

Head to head
About

SobrCircle

Features
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For the moments you can't share anywhere else. SobrCircle is a private space for adults in recovery โ€” to share your journey with the people who get it. No ads. No tracking. No contact syncing. Nothing about you is discoverable unless you turn it on yourself. WHY SOBRCIRCLE EXISTS Most recovery tools are either public (exposing your recovery status to anyone) or institutional (treatment-center apps that lapse when treatment ends). SobrCircle is the missing middle: private, ongoing, peer-driven, with the same intimacy as iMessage or Signal. WHAT'S INSIDE โ€ข Sobriety tracker โ€” your day count at a glance, with home screen widgets and lock screen view (free, never paywalled) โ€ข Recovery meeting finder โ€” 195,000+ meetings worldwide on the map, with directions โ€ข Private journal โ€” a space just for you, including voice notes โ€ข Private friend code โ€” invite who you trust, no one else โ€ข Check-ins, posts and 24-hour stories shared only with your circle โ€ข Direct messages, group chats and rooms with your closest connections โ€ข Milestones your circle can celebrate with you โ€ข Community events and public rooms, when you want them โ€ข Crisis resources surfaced when you need them (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline / Crisis Text Line) PRIVACY BY DESIGN We built SobrCircle because we were tired of recovery apps that monetize the people they claim to help. What we don't do: โ€ข No ads, ever โ€ข No advertising tracking โ€ข No contact syncing โ€” we never read your phone's contacts โ€ข No open feed, no algorithm, no recommendations โ€ข No data sold to anyone โ€ข No "social engagement" gamification that pushes you to post What we do: โ€ข Encrypt everything in transit โ€ข Let you delete your account from inside the app at any time โ€ข Let you export all your data from inside the app โ€ข Surface crisis resources with no algorithm in the way YOUR CIRCLE, YOUR CONTROL By default you are invisible. Connections happen by private friend code โ€” you give it to someone you trust, and they enter it. Nothing about you appears anywhere in the app until you choose otherwise. If you want to meet people, that's a decision you make, not one made for you. Turning on nearby discovery shares only a rough area โ€” never your exact location โ€” and only with members who have turned it on too. It's off until you enable it, and one tap turns it back off. Public rooms and events are there when you want them and invisible when you don't. Your posts, messages and milestones stay visible only to the people you've added. Not to us. Not to advertisers. Not to anyone you didn't invite. SUPPORTING THE APP SobrCircle Supporter helps us keep the lights on without ads. The core experience โ€” sobriety tracker, journal, meeting finder, messaging, widgets โ€” is free. WHO IT'S FOR Adults (18+) in recovery from substance use disorders, and the people they choose to bring into their support network. SobrCircle is peer support, not medical care. We are not a substitute for therapy, treatment, or emergency services. If you are in crisis, please call 988 (US/Canada) or your local emergency number. OPERATED BY Moradi Labs Inc., a federal Canadian corporation based in Windsor, Ontario. Privacy: https://sobrcircle.com/privacy Terms: https://sobrcircle.com/terms Support: https://sobrcircle.com/support Your circle. Your space. Your story.

About

NearO

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NearO is a location-based social app for sending anonymous messages to people nearby. The person you made eye contact with at the cafe. The one sitting next to you at the bar. For those moments when saying hello felt too hard โ€” NearO breaks the ice for you. How it works: Discover NearO users active within 500 meters of you Send an anonymous message, with a hint photo, to someone who catches your eye If they accept, both profiles are revealed and a 1:1 chat opens If they don't, the message quietly disappears within an hour Key features: Nearby discovery โ€” See who's been around you recently Anonymous messaging โ€” Say your first words without revealing who you are Mutual reveal โ€” Identities are shown only when both sides accept 1-hour auto-expiry โ€” No pressure. Unaccepted messages disappear on their own Vibe photos โ€” Every message requires a photo of your drink, shoes, or view, so strangers have something real to recognize you by Block & report โ€” Instantly block or report anyone making you uncomfortable 5 free messages a day โ€” Thoughtful by design, not spammy 18+ only โ€” Built for adults, with mutual consent at the core NearO connects you with people who are right here, right now โ€” not behind a screen miles away.

Screenshots

SobrCircle4 screens
NearO3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NearO at none against SobrCircle's 1. NearO also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. SobrCircle sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per month. NearO asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SobrCircle ships an update every 2 months, NearO every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
SobrCircle versus NearO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSobrCircleNearO
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS15.013.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size102 MB44 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBehnam MoradiWonil Lee

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SobrCircle

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly$6.991 Month
None

NearO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SobrCircle free?
SobrCircle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NearO free?
NearO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SobrCircle or NearO have ads?
Neither SobrCircle nor NearO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SobrCircle or NearO?
SobrCircle ships an update every 2 months, and NearO every 3 weeks. Most recently, SobrCircle was updated on October 5, 2026 and NearO on October 25, 2026.

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