# StudyBuddy vs Pdb

The clearest difference is rating: StudyBuddy at 5.0 against Pdb's 4.2. StudyBuddy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Pdb's advantage is ratings volume (5.4K vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pdb sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per 3 months. StudyBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

StudyBuddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pdb has 5.4K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of StudyBuddy's written reviews are positive against 66% of Pdb's.

StudyBuddy ships an update monthly, Pdb weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StudyBuddy | Pdb |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybuddy/id948997336/reviews)** | [4.2 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdb-personality-and-friends/id1614566357/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **5.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.9% of reviews** | 66.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 244 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Nathaniel Blumer](https://appshunter.io/developer/859778029) | [PDB PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1614566359) |

## 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


### Pdb

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdb-personality-and-friends/id1614566357)

Connect with others who share your interests and personality type. Explore various personality frameworks, discover fictional and real character profiles, and build genuine friendships in a safe, inclusive community designed for deep thinkers.

**Highlights:** Extensive personality database, Connect with like-minded individuals, Explore MBTI and cognitive functions, Debate character typings, Safe space for introverts, Self-discovery tools

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3-Month Basic | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| 1-Month Plus | $12.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| 3-Month Plus | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| 3-Month Pro | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| 3-Month Pro | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| 12-Month Plus | $39.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Plus | $44.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Pro | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient app version
- 👍 Helpful for understanding personality types
- 🤝 Good for meeting like-minded people
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive monetization and paywalls
- 🔍 Lack of filtering/sorting options
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📢 Intrusive ads and pop-ups
- 🤖 Issues with AI-generated content and profiles

**Reported bugs**

- Messages and chat history disappearing
- Profiles not loading properly
- Voting and commenting features not working consistently
- Glitches when switching between app and website

**Requested features**

- Add enneagram and instinctual variant filtering
- Improve search and sorting functionality
- Allow offline access to profiles
- Provide more privacy controls
- Enhance community moderation tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StudyBuddy free?

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

### Is Pdb free?

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

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

StudyBuddy is rated higher. StudyBuddy averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Pdb averages 4.2 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do StudyBuddy or Pdb have ads?

Pdb shows ads; StudyBuddy does not.

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

StudyBuddy ships an update monthly, and Pdb weekly. Most recently, StudyBuddy was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pdb on November 8, 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.*