PADL vs DinkLinks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PADL
Rent paddle boards conveniently through an automated system. Locate the nearest rental station and unlock a board to start your ride anytime. Enjoy effortless outdoor recreation.
- Automated paddle sport rentals
- Find nearest rental stations
- Unlock and ride paddle boards
- Paddleshare app
- On-demand rentals
Read full descriptionHide full description
Welcome to PADL automated paddle sport rentals. Unlock and ride paddle boards anytime with PADL, the leading paddleshare app! Use our app to find the nearest station near you and ride.
DinkLinks
Discover and join local pickleball communities. Connect with players, find courts with detailed information, and organize or join court events. See who's playing and plan your next game.
- Find pickleball courts
- View court details
- Chat with community members
- Create player profiles
- Organize court events
- See who's playing
Read full descriptionHide full description
The DinkLinks mobile app allows you to find and connect with pickleball court communities. • Find courts and see details such as location, hours, amenities, etc. • Chat with other members of the court community. • Create and view player profiles. • Create and participate in court events. • See who’s planning to play. Let others know when you are planning to play. Terms Of Service https://app.dinklinks.com/terms-of-service Privacy policy https://app.dinklinks.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DinkLinks at 5.0 against PADL's 3.7. DinkLinks also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). PADL's advantage is ratings volume (79 vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DinkLinks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PADL has 79 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PADL | DinkLinks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (79 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | PADL Holdings LLC | DinkLinks L.L.C. |
Customer experience
PADL
DinkLinks
Bugs and requests
PADL
Reported bugs
15 issues- App fails to load or shows splash screen indefinitely
- Account creation errors and sign-up failures
- App crashes during rental completion
- Board unlock system malfunctions
- Board lock system fails to register return
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Incorrect board availability count displayed
- Rental timer continues after physical return
- Referral code not applied during signup
- Double charging for single rentals
- Automatic recurring charges without consent
- App disconnects from board mid-rental
- Station disappears from map after initiating rental
- Paddle unlock mechanism difficult or impossible
- App doesn't show nearby stations despite being on-site
- Billing system charges for failed unlock attempts
Requested features
14 requests- Apple Pay and digital wallet integration
- Partial hour billing increments (15-30 minute options)
- Ability to rent multiple boards per transaction
- Display pricing before requiring account creation
- Automatic session end when board is physically returned
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Direct phone support instead of email-only
- Clearer in-app instructions for first-time users
- Referral code functionality that actually works
- Life jacket inclusion information
- One-month membership option (not just annual)
- Membership renewal notifications and invoice history
- Replace unstable kayaks with Ocean Kayak Malibu models
- Gift rental options for friends
- Daily rental rates as alternative to membership
DinkLinks
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PADL
No in-app purchases
DinkLinks
No in-app purchases
