Comparison

Fill it Forward vs Cornell Self

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

Head to head
About

Fill it Forward

This app connects you to a community focused on giving back and environmental responsibility. Track your positive impact, contribute to charitable projects, and stay hydrated by scanning your reusable bottle or sticker.

Highlights
  • Contribute to charitable projects
  • Track environmental impact
  • Join community groups and leaderboards
  • Monitor beverage consumption
  • Earn status levels and discounts
  • Enter community draws
  • Find refill stations
Features
Read full description

With the Fill it Forward app you will be part of a community that is always giving. Contribute to meaningful charitable projects, track your environmental footprint, join the community, and stay hydrated every time you reuse. HOW IT WORKS: 1. Obtain a Fill it Forward bottle or place a Fill it Forward sticker on your reusable 2. Download the app and sign up with your email address 3. Scan the sticker every time you reuse Shop our products at fillitforward.com APP FEATURES: Contribute To Meaningful Charitable Projects --- Every time you scan your Fill it Forward sticker, we contribute to charitable projects around the world. You can track the progress of the projects and we’ll update you as projects are completed. Help Build The Fill it Forward Community With Groups --- Join Fill it Forward open groups to track your collective impact and check out which users are leading the way with the group’s leaderboard. Track Your Environmental Impact --- Every time you reuse, you are making a positive environmental impact. With the Fill it Forward app, you can easily track waste diverted, emissions saved, and how much ocean pollution you have prevented. Stay Hydrated --- Track your beverage consumption throughout the day. We make it easy to set goals and reminders so you always meet your hydration goals. Obtain Status --- Continue scanning to work through a series of status levels that provide promo codes to our store as well as other partner discounts Join Community Draws --- Every scan automatically enters you into a draw with different prizes every month Find where to fill up --- Use our refill map to find hundreds of thousands of refill stations across the world Engage with friends --- Add friends and compare stats with our extended community features

About

Cornell Self

Features
Read full description

Cornell University Library Self-Checkout is a quick and convenient way to borrow items from our collection. Download the app on your smartphone or tablet, and use it anywhere inside participating library locations on the Ithaca campus. You can even check out books straight from the shelves! The app will automatically recognize your library location. Just enter your Cornell ID number into the app when prompted, and use the camera on your smartphone or tablet to scan the barcodes of the items you’d like to check out. In addition to the app, self-checkout kiosks are available. This pilot program is currently not available for Adelson Library, the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library, and the Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance.

Screenshots

Fill it Forward4 screens
Cornell Self4 screens

Verdict

The call

Fill it Forward and Cornell Self are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fill it Forward ships an update monthly, Cornell Self every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Fill it Forward versus Cornell Self: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFill it ForwardCornell Self
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (16 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB409 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGreen Menu Inc.Meescan Inc.

Bugs and requests

Fill it Forward

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Camera scanner won't focus or read QR codes
  • App crashes immediately after scanning
  • White/blank screen appears on app launch
  • Reuse data shows zero or incorrect values
  • Profile picture cannot be saved
Show 10 more
  • App freezes when checking group status
  • Scanner shows black screen instead of camera feed
  • Scanning count doesn't update properly
  • App incompatible with iOS 13 and newer versions
  • Login screen fails to load
  • Microphone permission required unnecessarily
  • Timezone awareness issues with day tracking
  • Data wipes after password reset
  • Leaderboard data not syncing across devices
  • Help/contact feature requires external email app

Requested features

12 requests
  • Add friends and create private group competitions
  • Monthly/yearly impact statistics and history logs
  • Daily water intake tracking by day/month/year
  • Integration with Apple Health app for water tracking
  • Support for multiple bottles with different sizes
Show 7 more
  • Push notifications for hydration reminders
  • Monetary donation total visibility in profile
  • Tap-to-log feature as alternative to barcode scanning
  • Keychain attachment option instead of stickers
  • Offline logging capability with sync when service returns
  • Ability to change bottle size beyond 999ml limit
  • Global impact dashboard showing worldwide progress

Cornell Self

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Fill it Forward

No in-app purchases

None

Cornell Self

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fill it Forward free?
Fill it Forward is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cornell Self free?
Cornell Self is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fill it Forward or Cornell Self have ads?
Neither Fill it Forward nor Cornell Self shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fill it Forward or Cornell Self?
Fill it Forward ships an update monthly, and Cornell Self every 4 weeks. Most recently, Fill it Forward was updated on September 17, 2026 and Cornell Self on September 22, 2026.

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