Nearpeer vs Unibuddy
Nearpeer
nearpeer.comUnibuddy
unibuddy.comSide by side
| Figure | Nearpeer | Unibuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1,250/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Student Recruitment Software | 7.9 (#8) | 6.8 (#26) |
| Spec score · Student Engagement Software | 8.0 (#7) | 6.9 (#21) |
| Founded | 2017 | Unibuddy says it was founded by Diego Fanara and launched with five universities in 2017. |
| Headquarters | Nearpeer lists its address as 63 Federal St, Portland, Maine 04101, USA. | Unibuddy lists its UK office at 5 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3TW, United Kingdom. |
| Integrations | A Nearpeer case study says the platform complemented the University of Oklahoma's existing StarRez housing management software for roommate matching. | The platform page names Slate, Zapier, and Campus Management among its CRM integrations. |
| Purpose | Nearpeer is a higher education student engagement platform that connects prospective, admitted, and current students with peers and campus resources. | Unibuddy provides universities with a platform for peer-to-peer student recruitment and engagement. |
| Security | Nearpeer states that it became SOC 2 Type 2 compliant in 2026 and that institutions can request its SOC 2 Type 2 report, HECVAT, or VPAT through its Trust Center. | The privacy policy lists firewalls, encryption, access controls, multi-factor authentication, intrusion detection, and regular security and vendor audits among its safeguards. |
| Support | Nearpeer's contact page offers app support through a ticket submission option, as well as demo scheduling and general inquiries. | Unibuddy says its team provides training and support for student ambassadors and staff. |
Plans
Unibuddy
- AssistantPriced on request
- Chat EnterprisePriced on request
- Chat PremiumPriced on request
- CommunityPriced on request
In their own words
Nearpeer
Nearpeer is a higher-education engagement and recruitment platform connecting prospective and current students with peers and campus resources. It supports students from prospect and admission through commitment, arrival, and current study, and serves first-year, transfer, international, adult, online, early-college, and non-degree learners. Nearpeer says it matches students using more than 3,600 criteria, such as interests, identities, majors, goals, and hometowns. Students can connect with peers, study buddies, campus clubs, and others in their majors, including during orientation and the transition to college. Institutions can tailor private, invitation-only campus communities to strategic needs and receive student insights. The platform also has a Prospect Hub for institution-branded prospect engagement, a parent and family offering, and features for lifelong learning institutes. Nearpeer describes itself as a standalone tool that enhances existing student systems and resources. It is available on web, Android, and iOS. The company says it is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, and Nearpeer for College states WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance. Institutional pricing is on request; the public site directs institutions to book a demo.