# Heatwave Social vs circles*

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.

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

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.

Heatwave Social ships an update every 2 months, circles* fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heatwave Social | circles* |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heatwave-social/id6760971729/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles/id6762500004/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 121 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heatwave Social Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887095273) | [CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY PROVOST](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887701443) |

## What reviewers say

### Heatwave Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heatwave-social/id6760971729)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Flame Tokens | $3.99 | one-time |
| 10 Flame Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| 25 Flame Tokens | $19.99 | one-time |


### circles*

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles/id6762500004)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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 31, 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.*