# Approach vs SoCaly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Approach at free against SoCaly's freemium. SoCaly's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Approach sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SoCaly sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Approach against 5.0 for SoCaly. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoCaly has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Approach ships an update fortnightly, SoCaly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Approach | SoCaly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/approach-know-when-to-connect/id6804224581/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socaly/id6806489387/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 3 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MARISA FAHRNER GIBAUD](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804224583) | [Megan Bechtold](https://appshunter.io/developer/6806489390) |

## What reviewers say

### Approach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/approach-know-when-to-connect/id6804224581)

This app helps you know when friends and family are available to connect without direct communication. It displays availability through simple color blocks and allows users to set their own status to indicate when they welcome company. Seamlessly integrates with existing calendars to visualize everyone's free time.

**Highlights:** Visualizes friend and family availability, Set custom 'Please Approach' status, Integrates with multiple calendars, Anonymous busy blocks option, Group contacts for easy management, Trip planning based on availability, Real-time status updates with friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Approach Plus | $4.99 | one-time |


### SoCaly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socaly/id6806489387)

Connect with people in Southern California through a social and dating app. Discover nearby users, match, chat, and join local community discussions. Personalize your profile and control your experience with privacy tools.

**Highlights:** Discover and match with people nearby, Chat with messages, photos, and voice calls, Join local community discussions, Connect through county-based communities, Personalize your profile, Control privacy with blocking and reporting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SoCaly+ Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| SoCaly+ Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| 50 SoCaly Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 150 SoCaly Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 400 SoCaly Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| 1000 SoCaly Coins | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Approach free?

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

### Is SoCaly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Approach or SoCaly?

Approach and SoCaly are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Approach or SoCaly have ads?

Neither Approach nor SoCaly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Approach or SoCaly?

Approach ships an update fortnightly, and SoCaly every 4 days. Most recently, Approach was updated on October 20, 2026 and SoCaly on October 10, 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.*