Gowalla vs Foursquare

Struggling to choose between Gowalla and Foursquare? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Gowalla is a Social & Communications solution with tags like location, checkin, places, friends, social-networking.

It boasts features such as Location-based check-ins, User profiles and ability to follow friends, Tips and photos could be left on check-in locations, Virtual items could be collected at check-in locations, Leaderboards for most check-ins and pros including Fun way to share locations visited with friends, Gamification elements with collecting items, Good for discovering new places.

On the other hand, Foursquare is a Social & Communications product tagged with local-search, recommendations, checkin, badges, points, locationbased.

Its standout features include Check-in at locations to earn points, Get recommendations for places to go based on location, Discover new places nearby, Earn badges for checking in at certain locations, Unlock specials and deals by checking in, Leave tips and reviews for places you visit, Connect with friends and see where they have checked in, Leaderboards and mayorships for most check-ins at a place, and it shines with pros like Good for discovering new places in your area, Checking in and earning points can be fun and addictive, Unlocking specials can save you money, Easy to connect with friends and see where they go, Interface is simple and easy to use.

Feature	Gowalla	Foursquare
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Social & Communications	Social & Communications

Product Overview

Gowalla

Description: Gowalla was a location-based social networking website and mobile app launched in 2007. It allowed users to check-in at various locations and connect with friends to share places they have visited. The service shut down in 2012 after being acquired by Facebook.

Foursquare

Description: Foursquare is a local search and discovery mobile app that provides recommendations for dining, nightlife, shopping and entertainment based on the user's location. Users can check-in at venues to earn points, badges and unlock specials and recommendations.

Key Features Comparison

Gowalla Features

• Location-based check-ins
• User profiles and ability to follow friends
• Tips and photos could be left on check-in locations
• Virtual items could be collected at check-in locations
• Leaderboards for most check-ins

Foursquare Features

• Check-in at locations to earn points
• Get recommendations for places to go based on location
• Discover new places nearby
• Earn badges for checking in at certain locations
• Unlock specials and deals by checking in
• Leave tips and reviews for places you visit
• Connect with friends and see where they have checked in
• Leaderboards and mayorships for most check-ins at a place

Pros & Cons Analysis

Gowalla

Pros

• Fun way to share locations visited with friends
• Gamification elements with collecting items
• Good for discovering new places

Cons

• Privacy concerns around constant location tracking
• Required a lot of active user participation
• Not as popular as competitors like Foursquare

Foursquare

Pros

• Good for discovering new places in your area
• Checking in and earning points can be fun and addictive
• Unlocking specials can save you money
• Easy to connect with friends and see where they go
• Interface is simple and easy to use

Cons

• Checking in can be seen as showy by some
• Too much focus on earning points/badges rather than utility
• Recommendations are hit or miss sometimes
• Privacy concerns around always sharing your location
• Requires a large user base to be really useful

Pricing Comparison

Gowalla

• Free

Foursquare

• Freemium