Howdy Mate! vs CatchUp
CatchUp: Keep in Touch and Howdy Mate! are both free, both private and both remind you to reach out. CatchUp syncs across your Apple devices; Howdy Mate! keeps notes and a history of every catch-up, and counts from the last one.
Side by side
| Howdy Mate! | CatchUp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | YesNo ads, tips or in-app purchases | YesNo ads. Optional tips from $0.99 to $4.99 |
| Notes on each person | YesNotes, things to remember and gift ideas | Not mentionedNot in its App Store listing |
| A history of every catch-up | YesEach check-in, with its type and a note | Not mentionedIt shows who’s due next |
| Counts from your last catch-upSo a chance coffee resets the clock. | YesA rhythm per mate, weekly to yearly or custom | Not mentionedRecurring reminders, daily to annual or custom, at a time of day you pick |
| Birthdays and anniversaries | YesFrom Contacts or typed in, plus any date you add | YesRead from your Contacts |
| Works without Contacts | YesType a name, or import just the people you pick | NoYou choose people from your Contacts list |
| Siri, a widget and Control Center | YesSiri with nothing to set up, Home Screen widgets (one can pin a single mate) and, on iOS 18, a Control Center button | Not mentionedNot in its App Store listing |
| Syncs across your devices | NoiPhone only, backed up daily to your own iCloud, but no sync yet | YesThrough your own iCloud, on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro |
| Sends the developer nothing | NoMates and notes stay on your iPhone, but anonymous usage stats and crash reports are sent | YesIts privacy label says Data Not Collected |
CatchUp facts are from its US App Store listing and the developer’s own pages, checked on 18 October 2026. “Not mentioned” means we couldn’t find it there, not that the app can’t do it. Prices and features change, so check the listing before you decide.
When CatchUp is the better pick
If you use an iPad or a Mac as much as your iPhone, CatchUp wins outright. It syncs through your own iCloud, and its privacy policy says your data is never sent to the developer’s servers. Howdy Mate! is iPhone only and doesn’t sync yet.
It’s also tiny, about 3.4 MB, and happily simple: pick a contact, pick how often, done. Its own listing says “There is no step three”, and we admire the restraint. It needs iOS 26 or later.
When Howdy Mate! is the better pick
If you’d like to remember what you talked about. Howdy Mate! keeps a history of every check-in with a note on each, plus the things to remember about a mate and gift ideas, none of which CatchUp’s listing mentions.
Its rhythm counts from your last catch-up rather than a fixed date, so logging a chance chat at the shops resets the clock and nobody nags you about a mate you saw on Saturday. And you don’t need everyone in Contacts first: type a name and you’re away.
Try CatchUp for yourself
We make Howdy Mate!, so weigh our take accordingly. CatchUp: Keep in Touch is by Ryan Token on the App Store, and you can read more on its privacy policy.
More comparisons
Try the friendly one.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. No account, no subscription, no catch.
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