Alternatives › Foster
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Ciao! vs Foster
Relationship Tracker: Foster, by Carbon Studio
A relationship tracker with an avatar companion: you sort contacts into circles, set how often to connect, and keep streaks going.
1 rating in the App Store, October 2026. iPhone only. No update since August 2025.
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Ciao!
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Foster
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| What it costs | One payment $9.99 |
$2.99 to $4.99 a month, or $24.99 to $49.99 a year |
| Free tier | 3 friends | Not stated |
| Account needed | None | Yes |
| Where it runs | iPhone | iPhone |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | Not stated |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | One avatar companion for you, none for each friend |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No |
Every row comes from Foster’s own App Store listing or website, read on 2 October 2026. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: Foster on the App Store
Where Foster wins
- •Circles with a rhythm for each, like weekly for family, monthly for friends and yearly for colleagues.
- •Streaks, milestones and progress you can see, if that kind of thing keeps you going.
- •It is written with ADHD and social anxiety in mind, and says so on its App Store page.
Where Ciao! wins
- •$9.99, once. Foster is a subscription.
- •An animal for each friend, so you can see at a glance who has gone quiet. Foster gives you one companion for everyone.
- •No account and no streaks to keep. Your notes stay on your phone and in your own iCloud.
Which one should you actually get?
Foster is worth a look if streaks and progress keep you going, or if you like one friendly companion cheering you on. Ciao! fits people who would rather see each friend as their own animal, go through who is due once a week, and pay one time.
