Comparison

Heatwave Social vs circles*

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

Head to head
About

Heatwave Social

This social media app uses a unique "heat" system to reveal content, encouraging community engagement. Posts start blurred and become visible as users contribute, fostering anticipation and connection.

Highlights
  • Content revealed by community "heat"
  • Posts start blurred
  • Set custom reveal requirements
  • Instant unlock with tokens
  • Private chat upon unlocking
  • Screenshot protection
  • Trending content feed
Read full description

Some moments are worth the wait. On Heatwave, every post starts blurred, and it takes everyone bringing the heat to unlock it. No mindless scrolling through everything at once. The reveal is something you earn together, and the wait is what makes it hit. A photo dump becomes an event. A drop becomes a countdown. An announcement becomes something people actually show up for. A new kind of social media. Built on anticipation, made for connection. Set the bar. You decide how many flames it takes to reveal your post. Spark it. When the flames add up, the blur burns away for everyone who brought the heat. Skip the line. Spend tokens to unlock any post instantly. Start a conversation. Instant unlocking also opens a private chat with whoever posted. Stay protected. Screenshots are blocked, so what you share stays yours. See what's hot. Trending shows what's catching fire right now. And when a post finally burns open, you find out exactly who showed up for it. The best stuff is behind the blur. Download Heatwave.

About

circles*

A private messaging application designed for intimate communication with close contacts. Share direct and group messages, voice notes, and ephemeral photos or videos. Your identity and profile are synced from an existing account, ensuring a seamless and secure experience.

Highlights
  • Direct and group messaging
  • Voice messages
  • Ephemeral photo/video sharing (Moments)
  • Viewership tracking for Moments
  • Profile sync from existing account
Features
Read full description

Circles is a private messaging app for staying close with the people who matter. • Direct and group messages with the people in your circles • Voice messages • Moments — share a photo or video that disappears after 24 hours • See who has viewed your moments • Your profile, avatar, and identity sync from your Scrolls account Circles uses your existing Scrolls account to sign in — no separate signup required. Your conversations stay between you and your circles.

Screenshots

Heatwave Social4 screens
circles*4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: circles* at none against Heatwave Social's 3. circles* also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Heatwave Social's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Heatwave Social sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. circles* asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Heatwave Social against 5.0 for circles*. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Heatwave Social ships an update every 2 months, circles* fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Heatwave Social versus circles*: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeatwave Socialcircles*
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size121 MB6 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperHeatwave Social Inc.CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY PROVOST

Customer experience

Heatwave Social

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

circles*

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Heatwave Social

One-time3
  • 3 Flame Tokens$3.99
  • 10 Flame Tokens$9.99
  • 25 Flame Tokens$19.99
None

circles*

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Heatwave Social free?
Heatwave Social is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is circles* free?
circles* is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Heatwave Social or circles*?
Heatwave Social and circles* are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Heatwave Social or circles* have ads?
Neither Heatwave Social nor circles* shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heatwave Social or circles*?
Heatwave Social ships an update every 2 months, and circles* fortnightly. Most recently, Heatwave Social was updated on October 31, 2026 and circles* on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons