# StudyBuddy vs purp

The clearest difference is rating: purp at 4.5 against StudyBuddy's 3.4. purp also leads on ratings volume (43K vs 19) and update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). StudyBuddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 23) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. purp sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. StudyBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

purp holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: purp has 43K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of StudyBuddy's written reviews are positive against 58% of purp's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

StudyBuddy ships an update monthly, purp every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StudyBuddy | purp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybuddy/id948997336/reviews) | **[4.5 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purp-make-new-friends/id1562883907/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **43K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.9% of reviews** | 57.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#208** |
| Size | 16 MB | 244 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Nathaniel Blumer](https://appshunter.io/developer/859778029) | [PURP TECNOLOGIA LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562883909) |

## What reviewers say

### StudyBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybuddy/id948997336)

Connect with nearby students to study together. Find a study partner for exams, projects, or casual academic discussions. Make learning more social, fun, and collaborative.

**Highlights:** Find nearby study buddies, Collaborative studying, Social learning, Exam preparation, Academic discussions

**In-app purchases:** none


### purp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purp-make-new-friends/id1562883907)

**Currently charting:** #208 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with people globally to forge new friendships. Discover diverse cultures and initiate new connections. The app facilitates friend requests, mutual acceptance, and then enables chat and social media sharing.

**Highlights:** Swipe right for friend requests, Chat with accepted friends, View each other's social media, Customize profile with photos and videos, Earn in-app currency (Gems), Daily check-ins for rewards

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

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week of purp+ | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month of purp+ | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Week of purp+ | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month of purp+ | $14.99 | per month |
| 3 Months of purp+ | $21.99 | per 3 months |
| 100 Gems | $0.29 | one-time |
| 100 Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Spotters | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Letters | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Shoutouts | $0.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $1.19 | one-time |
| 1000 Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 Spotters | $2.99 | one-time |
| 300 Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $3.59 | one-time |
| 500 Gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5 Spotters | $3.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 Spotters | $5.99 | one-time |
| 5 Quickadds | $6.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Gems | $7.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Gems | $10.99 | one-time |
| 7500 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app to make friends
- 🚀 Lots of people to meet and talk to
- 💡 Ability to block and report users
- 👍 Easy to use and set up

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Accounts being banned for no reason
- 🔒 Lack of transparency in moderation
- 🐛 Buggy and crashing issues
- 🔒 Concerns about fake/bot accounts
- 🔒 Lack of age verification and safety issues

**Reported bugs**

- Accounts being randomly disabled or banned
- App freezing during sign-up process
- Inability to delete account or change profile information
- Notifications not working properly

**Requested features**

- Add a search/filter feature to find people with similar interests
- Allow users to change their age after creating an account
- Implement a verification system to ensure real users
- Improve the moderation system and provide better customer support
- Add a texting/messaging feature within the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StudyBuddy free?

StudyBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is purp free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StudyBuddy or purp?

purp is rated higher. StudyBuddy averages 3.4 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while purp averages 4.5 from 43K ratings.

### Do StudyBuddy or purp have ads?

purp shows ads; StudyBuddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, StudyBuddy or purp?

StudyBuddy ships an update monthly, and purp every 10 days. Most recently, StudyBuddy was updated on October 26, 2026 and purp on October 30, 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.*