Comparison

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA vs Essence 360

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

Head to head
About

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA

Track Mardi Gras parades in real-time with live GPS updates on parade locations, routes, and schedules. Get traffic alerts, street closure information, and access related news and videos.

Highlights
  • Real-time parade float tracking
  • Parade route maps
  • Parade schedules
  • Traffic and detour updates
  • Mardi Gras news and videos
  • Photo and video sharing
Features
Read full description

Mobile AL Parade Tracker Celebrate Mardi Gras in the birthplace of the festival with the first Float Tracker app designed by a news/media outlet in the city! The WALA FOX10 Float Tracker will track more than 40 parades, give traffic updates as well as provide information regarding street closings and detours. See a schedule of the parades we're tracking, plus maps of the routes. While the parades are rolling, you can see the exact location of the front of the parade, updated in real-time thanks to our GPS trackers. Features: • Original FOX10 Parade Tracker technology shows the real-time location of the start of the parade. • Tracking more than 40 parades in the city. • Schedule of parades being tracked, include maps of routes, traffic and detours. • Mardi Gras related news, videos, live coverage, parade slideshows and sharing your photos or videos! Take advantage of our user-friendly interface which allows you to scroll and zoom in on maps for the routes which will provide you with the most up-to-the-minute location of the parade.

About

Essence 360

This app is a comprehensive platform for Black women, offering inspiration, career support, community connection, and cultural content. It provides tools for personal and professional growth, wellness, and curated shopping experiences.

Highlights
  • Career development and job opportunities
  • Community social space
  • Curated news and cultural content
  • Wellness tools and meditations
  • Shopping for brands and essentials
  • Event information and updates
Features
Read full description

From headline stories and cultural moments to career support, wellness tools, and community, Essence 360 is your all-in-one destination to live fully, grow intentionally, and stay connected to what matters most. Created by and for Black women, this app brings together every facet of your journey—inspiration, opportunity, joy, and purpose. Whether you’re planning your next move, finding your center, or just taking a moment for you—Essence 360 is here for it. Growth Build toward your future with tools that support your personal and professional evolution. Career Explore the E-Suite for coaching, job opportunities, networking, and resources built for your success. Community Connect and express yourself in Golden Hour, the social space where mood meets meaning. News Stay informed with curated stories from Essence.com, Afropunk, Beautycon, and more. Wellness Tap into meditations, sound healing, breathwork, and daily affirmations. Culture Celebrate creativity and expression through original content, perspectives, and curated experiences. Shopping Find favorites and discover new brands, everyday essentials, and must-have style picks in one curated space. Events Experience the energy of ESSENCE Festival and other signature events from the Essence network of brands—RSVP, explore lineups, and stay in the know with real-time updates. Download Essence 360 and step into a space designed for your whole self—brilliant, bold, and becoming.

Screenshots

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA4 screens
Essence 3604 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA at 4.8 against Essence 360's 3.2. Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 15%) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 32). Essence 360's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA has 2.1K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA's written reviews are positive against 15% of Essence 360's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA versus Essence 360: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMardi Gras Parade Tracker WALAEssence 360
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better3.2 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better15.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.1K — better32
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB119 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGray Television Group, Inc.Essence Communications Inc

Customer experience

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA

All ratings2,126 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral4.5%
Negative45.5%

Essence 360

All ratings32 ratings
Positive53.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative43.8%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive15.2%
Neutral13.0%
Negative71.7%

User reviews

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great parades
  • 👍 Best app for Mobile Mardi Gras
  • 👍 Love this App!
  • 👍 Spot on

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Location wrong
  • 🐛 Was excited to use-then was pretty disappointed
  • 🐛 Won't open
  • 🐛 Bad App
  • 🐛 It's not showing the float. Showing nothing helpful

Essence 360

From 32 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Major upgrade improves app
  • 👍 Smooth UI and social networking
  • 👍 In-app ticket purchasing
  • 👍 Personal schedule feature

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes on open
  • 🐛 App doesn't open
  • 🐛 Verification code issues
  • 🐛 Cannot create username
  • 🐛 App crashes when opening

Bugs and requests

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Location wrong
  • Was excited to use-then was pretty disappointed
  • Won't open
  • Bad App
  • It's not showing the float. Showing nothing helpful
Show 4 more
  • Location problems
  • Location services are messed up
  • Terrible
  • Never Worked

Requested features

2 requests
  • It would be nice to be able to also see the theme of the parade, walking, truck parade, double decker, pets etc, and the origins
  • How about other locations float routes?

Essence 360

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • App does not open
  • Verification code not sent or recognized
  • Cannot create a username
  • App crashes when entering profile information
Show 10 more
  • Login errors ('Oops... an error has occurred')
  • Cannot access purchased tickets
  • Event information outdated (shows previous year's data)
  • Delay in uploading schedule/lineup
  • Unable to purchase tickets via app
  • Cannot activate festival pass
  • App not working for international phone numbers
  • App is biased towards US residents
  • Favorited events lost after app updates
  • App goes black or crashes when trying to RSVP for screenings

Requested features

7 requests
  • Way to remove followers and block people
  • Update event information immediately
  • Include a full lineup schedule
  • Map of lounges/stages and directions
  • Planner to keep up with events
Show 2 more
  • Option to check in/secure spots via app
  • Shipping VIP items to home

In-app purchases

None

Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA

No in-app purchases

None

Essence 360

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA free?
Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Essence 360 free?
Essence 360 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA or Essence 360?
Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA is rated higher. Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Essence 360 averages 3.2 from 32 ratings.
Do Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA or Essence 360 have ads?
Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA shows ads; Essence 360 does not.
Which is updated more often, Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA or Essence 360?
Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA ships an update every 5 weeks, and Essence 360 every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mardi Gras Parade Tracker WALA was updated on November 6, 2026 and Essence 360 on November 2, 2026.

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