# Radiate vs Swella

Radiate and Swella both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Swella's written reviews are positive against 65% of Radiate's. Radiate's advantage is ratings volume (31K vs 3) and chart position (#98 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Radiate sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Swella sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Radiate against 5.0 for Swella. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Radiate has 31K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Radiate's written reviews are positive against 100% of Swella's.

Radiate ships an update every 10 days, Swella every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Radiate | Swella |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radiate/id939284774/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swella/id6754044464/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **31K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#98** | — |
| Size | 207 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Radiate The World, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/939284773) | [Rita Marques](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846435725) |

## What reviewers say

### Radiate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radiate/id939284774)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Social Networking, #102 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with people attending the same concerts, festivals, and nightlife events. Discover events, see who's going, and make new friends. Features include event-specific group chats, a secure ticket marketplace, and an interactive 3D social map.

**Highlights:** Event group chats and forums, Secure ticket and clothing marketplace, 3D social map of events, PayPal Buyer and Seller Protection, Discover who's attending events, Connect with concert and festival friends

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Radiate Glow 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Radiate Glow 3 Month | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Radiate Glow 3 Month | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month | $34.99 | per 6 months |
| Radiate Glow 6 Month | $34.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |
| 1 Heydar Token | $7.99 | one-time |
| 3 Heydar Tokens | $18.99 | one-time |
| 5 Heydar Tokens | $26.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great social app for connecting with like-minded people
- 🗺️ Impressive map tool for finding events
- 💬 Convenient chat features for groups and events
- 🤝 Helps build rave community and make new friends
- 🎉 Useful for finding events and meeting up with others

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗓️ Confusing to keep track of past events and festivals
- 🚫 Concerns about data privacy and inability to delete account
- 🤖 Issues with bot accounts and scammers
- 🇨🇦 Lack of coverage for Canadian festivals and events

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues after recent updates
- Notification and messaging bugs
- Crashes and stability problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to log in without Facebook account
- Option to automatically delete past event chats
- Verification system to weed out bot and scam accounts
- Better support and coverage for international/Canadian events


### Swella

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swella/id6754044464)

Connect with women who surf, whether you're at a local break or traveling. Plan surf sessions and trips, discover nearby surfers, and build confidence in the water. Find your surf sisters and never paddle out alone again.

**Highlights:** Create surfer profile, Share surf sessions and trips, Discover nearby women surfers, Connect by location, dates, and level, Chat and plan surf meetups, Build confidence in the lineup

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Swella Plus Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Swella Plus Yearly | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Radiate free?

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

### Is Swella free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Radiate or Swella?

Swella is rated higher. Radiate averages 4.9 out of 5 from 31K ratings, while Swella averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Radiate or Swella have ads?

Neither Radiate nor Swella shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Radiate or Swella?

Radiate ships an update every 10 days, and Swella every 3 weeks. Most recently, Radiate was updated on October 22, 2026 and Swella on October 14, 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.*