New Invites app from Apple: Partiful feels lured in
Apple has unveiled a brand new application designed to sell more iCloud+ subscriptions: an invitation management program. One competitor is annoyed by this.
Partiful app: Has been around for years, was even an App Store Award finalist in 2024.
(Image: Entwickler)
The launch of Apple's new Invites app yesterday (Tuesday) has drawn criticism from a direct competitor. The company Partiful, which has had a similar service including applications for iOS and Android on the market for several years, feels it is being copied by the iPhone manufacturer. The developer cynically wrote on his X account that he was currently looking at the Apple developer rules for the App Store at – and posted an excerpt stating that copied apps (“copycats”) are prohibited: “Come up with something of your own,” it says.
Functionality and app are similar
In fact, Partiful and Invites, which simply means invitations in German, look quite similar. There have been accusations on social media that Apple has “lured” Partiful and similar competitors. This is an old term from earlier macOS times, when Apple used the Sherlock search tool to outsmart a direct competitor called Watson from Karelia Software. The Partiful review quotes Apple's developer rules a little further:“We know you have your ideas, so bring your ideas to life. Don't just copy the latest popular app from the App Store or make minor changes to another app's name or user interface to pass it off as your own.”
Videos by heise
Partiful is used to send personalized invitations to friends and acquaintances, offering templates and then tracking who comes and who doesn't. This is useful across platforms. Usefully, this is possible across platforms, with Apple requiring either an iPhone or a browser (via iCloud.com). Partiful also offers an easier way to confirm – email addresses do not need to be entered.
Partiful on Apple's radar
Apple's full functionality in Invites is only unlocked if you are a subscriber to iCloud+, while Partiful is also free to use. The app also does not have in-app sales.
Interestingly, Apple already had Partiful on its radar: the company received finalist status in the App Store Awards last year. Apple has not yet commented on the allegations, and experience shows that it is unlikely to do so. It is unclear whether Partiful will defend itself legally.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
