Comparison

eNeighbor vs elsehear

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

Head to head
About

eNeighbor

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eNeighborβ„’ lets you stop wondering about someone who lives on their own - and lets them get on with their day. Nothing to wear, nothing to charge, and no daily call either of you has to make. HOW IT WORKS You and the person you're looking out for become neighbors, and each of you sets the time you're usually up and using your phone. After that, there's nothing to do. Ordinary phone habits are the signal that the morning is under way. If there's no sign of someone by the time they set, eNeighbor nudges them first, so they can settle it themselves - the person they chose gets a gentle heads-up only if there's still no answer. WHAT YOU GET β€’ See at a glance that they're up, right from your home screen β€’ Look out for someone without adding another task to your day β€’ It works with the phone they already have - nothing new to buy or carry β€’ Let them keep their privacy: eNeighbor never shows their location and never records which apps they use β€’ Set it up together in a few minutes, then forget it's there WHERE THE NAME COMES FROM Before smartphones, neighbors had a simple arrangement: every morning you raised your window shade, and so did the person next door - a quiet signal that said "I'm up, I'm okay." Most of us don't have that neighbor anymore. eNeighbor brings it back. Whether it's a parent living alone, a student far from home, a friend who lives by themselves, or your own mornings, eNeighbor turns a daily worry into something you no longer have to think about. PRIVACY Whether you've been up and about is shared only with the person you chose during setup. It only works if you turn it on, and you can turn it off anytime. eNeighbor asks for notification and background access so it can notice you're up without you doing anything. Where the system uses location to wake the app, eNeighbor records only that the wake happened - the coordinates never leave your phone, and location is never stored, tracked, or shown to anyone. The person you pair with sees whether you've been active and whether your setup is finished - never your location, and never which apps you use. Account deletion is available in the app and at https://eneighbor.app/delete-account. Full details: https://eneighbor.app/privacy. IMPORTANT eNeighbor is a general wellness product, not a medical alert or emergency response system. In an emergency, contact your local emergency services. Please see our Terms of Service at https://eneighbor.app/terms for important safety information. QUESTIONS Email support@curlewlabs.com or visit https://eneighbor.app/support.

About

elsehear

Features
Read full description

Listen to real places around the world, live. Browse places around the world and tune into their live soundscapes. Discover the coordinates and stories behind the sounds you hear. Tap "Take me somewhere" and let Elsehear choose your next destination. Save your favorite places and return to them whenever you like. Favorites sync across your iPhones when you sign in with the same Apple account. See your current place and playback status on the Lock Screen with Live Activities. Browse places and control playback on your paired iPhone with the Apple Watch companion. Available in English, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, French, and German. Elsehear is an art project for sharing the sounds of the world. With thanks to Locus Sonus and the contributors who keep these open microphones listening. Sign in with Apple and an internet connection are required. Audio comes from live sources, so sounds and stream availability vary. Be here, hear elsewhere.

Screenshots

eNeighbor4 screens
elsehear4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: elsehear at every 3 days against eNeighbor's fortnightly. eNeighbor's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eNeighbor ships an update fortnightly, elsehear every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
eNeighbor versus elsehear: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereNeighborelsehear
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.6 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size43 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCurlew Labsdohyun ahn

In-app purchases

None

eNeighbor

No in-app purchases

None

elsehear

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eNeighbor free?
eNeighbor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is elsehear free?
elsehear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do eNeighbor or elsehear have ads?
Neither eNeighbor nor elsehear shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eNeighbor or elsehear?
eNeighbor ships an update fortnightly, and elsehear every 3 days. Most recently, eNeighbor was updated on October 7, 2026 and elsehear on October 16, 2026.

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