Alternatives › KeepUp
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Ciao! vs KeepUp
KeepUp: Stay in Touch, by 16th Street Holdings LLC
An app that brings the other person in. You pick a rhythm, they accept the invite, and the catch-up lands on both calendars, with postcards and calls inside the app.
1 rating in the US App Store, October 2026. Released in July 2026. Also on Android.
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Ciao!
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KeepUp
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| What it costs | One payment $9.99 |
Calling $2.99 and Scheduling $0.99, each starting with free months (billing period not stated) |
| Free tier | 3 friends | Not stated. Postcards are always free to receive |
| Account needed | None | Yes |
| Where it runs | iPhone | iPhone and Android |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | KeepUp’s servers |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | No |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No. Calendar events, or a nudge for each person |
Every row comes from KeepUp’s own App Store listing or website, read on 2 October 2026. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: KeepUp on the App Store
Where KeepUp wins
- •It sets the date. KeepUp finds a time that suits both calendars and puts the catch-up on each.
- •Postcards: write one update with photos, and the people you choose each get their own copy, on your rhythm.
- •Calls inside the app, end-to-end encrypted, with conversation starters and games like Would You Rather.
Where Ciao! wins
- •Your friends never see it. Nobody gets an invite, and nobody learns they are on a schedule.
- •You talk where you already talk. Ciao! has WhatsApp, Message and Call buttons and stays out of the conversation.
- •No account, and one payment of $9.99.
Which one should you actually get?
These two apps want different things. KeepUp is for when both of you want regular catch-ups and are happy to share calendars and an app. Ciao! stays private on your phone: your friends never know it exists, and you reach them on WhatsApp or by phone like you always do.
