# Bottled vs Postfun

The clearest difference is ads: Bottled at none against Postfun's shown. Bottled also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 61) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). Postfun's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs freemium). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bottled sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Postfun sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bottled holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bottled has 2.9K ratings behind it against 61, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Bottled's written reviews are positive against 70% of Postfun's.

Bottled ships an update every 3 weeks, Postfun every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bottled | Postfun |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bottled-message-in-a-bottle/id1106327189/reviews)** | [4.4 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/postfun-postcard-exchange/id1397899662/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 61 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 70.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 114 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Pierre Delannoy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1053412027) | [Ilya Ostashkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/864012260) |

## What reviewers say

### Bottled

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bottled-message-in-a-bottle/id1106327189)

Connect with people globally through a unique messaging system. Send a digital message in a bottle and let chance bring you new friends and meaningful conversations. Chat at your own pace and discover genuine connections.

**Highlights:** Send messages in a bottle globally, Match with users through random exchanges, Chat at your own pace, Send text, photo, and voice messages, Follow bottle journeys, Play Spin the Bottle game

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Explorer Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Cruise Membership - weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Cruise Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| 5 Gold coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Skull Island | $0.99 | one-time |
| Treasure Island | $0.99 | one-time |
| Camera | $1.99 | one-time |
| Shield | $1.99 | one-time |
| 20 Gold coins | $3.49 | one-time |
| 40 gold coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 50 Gold coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| 100 gold coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 100 Gold coins | $14.49 | one-time |
| Gift 100 Gold | $14.49 | one-time |
| 220 gold coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 500 Gold coins | $54.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique concept of connecting people globally
- 🌍 Ability to meet people from different countries and cultures
- 💬 Facilitates interesting conversations and language exchange
- 🤝 Helps make new friends and connections
- 📚 Opportunity to learn about other cultures and perspectives

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Presence of bots, scammers, and inappropriate users
- 🔇 Lack of moderation and enforcement of community guidelines
- 🚫 Difficulty in finding genuine, long-term connections
- 📵 Inability to share more personal information to connect further
- 🚧 Occasional technical issues and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent notification system
- Bottles not disappearing after being blocked
- Crashes and freezes on certain device models
- Inability to log in or access account after device changes

**Requested features**

- Improved moderation and user verification system
- Option to filter bottles by country or language
- Ability to create and join interest-based groups
- Integration of voice/video messaging features
- Offline mode or message drafting capabilities


### Postfun

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/postfun-postcard-exchange/id1397899662)

Connect with people globally by exchanging real paper postcards. Discover new friends, collect unique cards and stamps, and share a piece of your world. The more you send, the more you receive.

**Highlights:** Send and receive real postcards, Connect with international users, Collect cards and stamps, Discover new cultures, Global postcard community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Postfun - Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Postfun - Annual subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bottled free?

Bottled is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Postfun free?

Postfun is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bottled or Postfun?

Bottled is rated higher. Bottled averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Postfun averages 4.4 from 61 ratings.

### Do Bottled or Postfun have ads?

Postfun shows ads; Bottled does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bottled or Postfun?

Bottled ships an update every 3 weeks, and Postfun every 6 weeks. Most recently, Bottled was updated on October 26, 2026 and Postfun on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*