Discover the Best Gowalla Alternatives for Location-Based Socializing

Remember Gowalla? The innovative social network that allowed you to discover, capture, and share places and events, earning digital badges for checking in at real-world locations? While Gowalla may no longer be active, its spirit of location-based interaction lives on in many fantastic applications. If you're looking to replicate that unique blend of social connection and real-world exploration, you're in the right place. This article will guide you through the best Gowalla alternative options available today.

Top Gowalla Alternatives

Whether you're interested in finding local recommendations, sharing your whereabouts with friends, or simply exploring new places, there's a modern app that can fill the void left by Gowalla. Here are some of the top contenders:

foursquare

Foursquare is a quintessential Gowalla alternative, focusing on helping you explore your city and discover new places tailored to your tastes. Available on Web, Android, iPhone, and many other platforms, Foursquare offers robust location-based features, GPS Location Tracking, and IFTTT integration, making it a powerful social network for discovery.

Yelp

Yelp provides an excellent way to find, recommend, and discuss local businesses, much like how Gowalla encouraged interaction with locations. It’s a free service accessible on Web, Android, iPhone, and many other mobile platforms, allowing users to share recommendations and explore places, making it a strong contender if user-generated reviews are your priority.

Glympse

If your primary interest is safely sharing your real-time location, Glympse is a fantastic Gowalla alternative. It’s available for free on Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone, among others, and offers GPS Location Tracking and real-time updates without the need for a social network to manage, focusing purely on convenient location sharing.

openMarkers

openMarkers is a collaborative, open-source project for creating and discovering points of interest worldwide. Available on the Web, it offers user-generated content, in-app voting, nearby search, and is based on OpenStreetMap. For those who appreciated Gowalla's focus on discovering and marking locations, openMarkers provides a community-driven, open-source Gowalla alternative.

Google Places

Google Places allows you to browse nearby locations in various categories like restaurants and hotels, complete with distance and directions. It's a free service available on Web, Android, and iPhone, providing a straightforward way to discover places around you, offering a practical Gowalla alternative for local exploration.

BuzzE is a mobile social community for connecting with people in your vicinity. Available on iPhone and iPad, it offers chat and Facebook integration, making it a good Gowalla alternative for localized social interaction and meeting new people in a community setting.

Viewbubble

Viewbubble is a geolocation application for Android that scans your surroundings to show who is nearby and where to find them online. While its primary feature is dating, its ability to show nearby users makes it a unique Gowalla alternative for finding people around you.

Quipster

Quipster is an iPhone app focused on instant, micro-sharing of experiences, comments, and location. It allows users to become trendsetters by sharing 'Quips' on the go, providing a location-based social network experience that echoes Gowalla's interactive check-ins.

Facebook Places

Facebook Places is a built-in Facebook feature that allows you to see where your friends are and share your real-world location. Available on Web, Android, and iPhone, among others, it provides a direct social networking experience with location sharing, making it a widely accessible Gowalla alternative for keeping up with friends' whereabouts.

GeoCha

GeoCha is a local interaction platform supporting transient events like local chats, publishing, exchange, and collaboration. As a free web-based service with location-based features and points of interest (POI), GeoCha offers a versatile Gowalla alternative for localized community engagement and discovery.

While Gowalla offered a unique blend of location-based social networking, the digital landscape has evolved, providing numerous excellent alternatives. We encourage you to explore these options and find the best fit for your specific needs, whether you prioritize local discovery, social sharing, or real-time location updates. The perfect Gowalla alternative is out there, ready to help you connect with your world.