Comparison

InterNations vs Interpals

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

InterNations

Connect with expats and global minds in cities worldwide. Discover curated events, meet people with shared interests, and get advice from experienced expatriates. This app facilitates building a social network abroad.

Highlights
  • Connect with internationals globally
  • Discover curated events
  • Meet people with shared interests
  • Get expat tips
  • Network in 420 cities
Features
Read full description

Trouble with finding friends abroad? InterNations is here for you! With communities in 420 cities around the world, InterNations is the world’s largest network for people living and working abroad — making it easy for YOU to meet expats and global minds both online and face-to-face. With our app, you can: • Connect with internationals in your city and around the world • Discover a range of curated events and experiences • Meet people who share your interests at activities you’ll love • Get real-life tips from experienced expats • And more! Membership information: You can download this app for free, but an InterNations membership is required to use it. InterNations offers free and paid membership options. Availability and pricing depend on your location and selected subscription period. Subscription terms: Paid subscriptions automatically renew 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your iTunes account will be charged in full for the selected duration. To prevent auto renewal, you need to turn it off in your iTunes account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy policy: [https://www.internations.org/privacy-policy/] Terms of use: [https://www.internations.org/terms-and-conditions/] We are present in 420 cities around the world, including: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bangalore (India), Bangkok (Thailand), Barcelona (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), Doha (Qatar), Dubai (UAE), Geneva (Switzerland), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Kuwait City (Kuwait), London (UK), Manama (Bahrain), Mexico City (Mexico), Munich (Germany), New York (USA), Panama City (Panama), Paris (France), Quito (Ecuador), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Rome (Italy), San José (Costa Rica), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), and Toronto (Canada). Enjoy the international experience!

About

Interpals

Connect with a global community for cultural and language exchange. Find pen pals, practice languages with native speakers, and meet travelers visiting your area. Discover new friends and expand your horizons.

Highlights
  • Culture and language exchange
  • Find pen pals
  • Language practice with native speakers
  • Meet travelers
  • Global community
Features
Read full description

Meet people with Interpals, the original culture and language exchange community with 8.5 million users since 1998. Chat with new friends, pen pals and language partners from all over the world. Match with tandem language partners for language exchange or meet up with travelers from other countries who are visiting your area. Practice languages with native speakers to learn English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Turkish and hundreds more, all for FREE!

Screenshots

InterNations4 screens
Interpals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: InterNations at 4.6 against Interpals's 3.8. InterNations also leads on ratings volume (5.2K vs 556). Interpals's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. InterNations sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Interpals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

InterNations holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: InterNations has 5.2K ratings behind it against 556, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of InterNations's written reviews are positive against 39% of Interpals's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

InterNations ships an update every 2 months, Interpals every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
InterNations versus Interpals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInterNationsInterpals
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5.2K ratings) — better3.8 (556 ratings)
Positive reviews35.4% of reviews39.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.2K — better556
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB115 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperInterNations GmbHInterPals LLC

Customer experience

InterNations

All ratings5,193 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral5.1%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews573 reviews
Positive35.4%
Neutral7.2%
Negative57.4%

Interpals

All ratings556 ratings
Positive66.9%
Neutral9.7%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews761 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral13.0%
Negative47.7%

User reviews

InterNations

From 5.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great networking app
  • 👍 Wonderful community of people
  • 👍 Excellent for meeting new people
  • 👍 Lovely crowd and good food
  • 👍 Worldwide networking opportunities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with poor functionality
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel membership
  • 💰 Expensive membership fees
  • 💰 Automatic renewal issues
  • 🤖 Fake profiles and spam messages

Interpals

From 556 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌍 Great way to meet people from around the world
  • 🌐 Useful for language exchange and cultural learning
  • 💬 Ability to easily chat and share photos with others

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Many fake/scammer accounts
  • 🔇 Notifications and messaging issues
  • 🐛 Frequent bugs and crashes
  • 🔒 Lack of account security/verification
  • ⏱️ Slow performance and lagging

Bugs and requests

InterNations

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Notifications not clearing properly
  • Messaging feature not working reliably
  • Inability to edit or delete messages
  • Inconsistent app behavior across devices
Show 1 more
  • Membership status not updating correctly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Improved app stability and performance
  • Easier membership management and cancellation
  • Better moderation of profiles and messages
  • More affordable membership options
  • Improved event organization and notification system
Show 1 more
  • Better integration with calendar and contacts

Interpals

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to upload profile photos
  • Messages not loading or disappearing
  • Accounts being suspended for no reason
  • Incompatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved moderation and fake account detection
  • Dark mode option
  • Better notification and messaging reliability
  • Video/voice call functionality
  • Ability to filter by age, location, interests, etc.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

InterNations

Subscriptions5
  • InterNations One Membership$17.991 Month
  • Premium Membership (3 months)$59.993 Months
  • InterNations One Membership$69.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • InterNations One Membership$79.991 Year
  • Premium Membership (12 months)$129.991 Year
None

Interpals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is InterNations free?
InterNations is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Interpals free?
Interpals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, InterNations or Interpals?
InterNations is rated higher. InterNations averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Interpals averages 3.8 from 556 ratings.
Do InterNations or Interpals have ads?
Both InterNations and Interpals show ads.
Which is updated more often, InterNations or Interpals?
InterNations ships an update every 2 months, and Interpals every 2 weeks. Most recently, InterNations was updated on September 25, 2026 and Interpals on September 22, 2026.

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