# Raya vs The Eastern

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Eastern at none against Raya's 13. The Eastern also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Raya's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Raya sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. The Eastern asks for nothing beyond the download.

Raya ships an update every 2 days, The Eastern every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raya | The Eastern |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raya/id957215308/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | — |
| Size | 139 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Raya App Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/957215307) | [Elevated Lifestyles Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1330920793) |

## What reviewers say

### Raya

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raya/id957215308)

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Grossing · Lifestyle, #84 Top Grossing, #162 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

This private community connects members for dating, networking, and friendship. Submit an application to join, and if accepted, choose a membership for full access. The app prioritizes trust, respect, and privacy for its users.

**Highlights:** Connect with people globally, Dating, networking, and friendship, Private, selective community, Application and review process, Membership subscription options, Control over visibility, Secure personal information

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Membership | $24.99 | per month |
| Raya+ Membership | $49.99 | per month |
| Membership | $113.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Direct Request | $4.99 | one-time |
| Skip the Wait | $7.99 | one-time |
| 30 Extra Likes | $10.99 | one-time |
| 3 Direct Requests | $12.99 | one-time |
| 3 Skip the Waits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 5 Skip the Waits | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Exclusive community
- 👍 Interesting people
- 🚀 Curated dating experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app
- 💸 Expensive subscription
- 🚫 Discriminatory selection process
- 🤔 Lack of features
- 📍 Limited location options

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Issues with uploading photos
- Incorrect age displayed
- Unable to cancel subscription

**Requested features**

- Allow users to update profile information
- Improve location-based matching
- Add more filtering options
- Enhance messaging and communication features


### The Eastern

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-eastern/id6479244906)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Raya free?

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

### Is The Eastern free?

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

### Do Raya or The Eastern have ads?

Neither Raya nor The Eastern shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Raya or The Eastern?

Raya ships an update every 2 days, and The Eastern every 2 months. Most recently, Raya was updated on October 13, 2026 and The Eastern on September 29, 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.*