SBIFF vs Metropolitan Theatres
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SBIFF
Access comprehensive schedules and detailed film information for all events, including the annual Film Festival and year-round programming. Stay updated on screenings at SBIFF's Riviera Theatre and Film Center.
- Event schedules
- Film information
- Annual Film Festival details
- Year-round programming
- Venue information
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Get all of your schedule and film info for SBIFF's events including the annual Film Festival and year round programming at SBIFF's Riviera Theatre and Film Center.
Metropolitan Theatres
Easily find movie showtimes and purchase tickets for your favorite films. Join the rewards program to earn points on every purchase, redeemable for future tickets and concessions.
- View showtimes
- Buy tickets
- Earn rewards
- Redeem rewards
- Concession rewards
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See showtimes, buy tickets, earn rewards!
Screenshots
Verdict
SBIFF and Metropolitan Theatres both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of SBIFF's written reviews are positive against 29% of Metropolitan Theatres's. Metropolitan Theatres's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for SBIFF against 4.7 for Metropolitan Theatres. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 540 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of SBIFF's written reviews are positive against 29% of Metropolitan Theatres's.
SBIFF ships an update every 11 months, Metropolitan Theatres every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SBIFF | Metropolitan Theatres |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (540 ratings) — better | 4.7 (1.6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 29.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 540 | 1.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 105 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | The Boxoffice Company, LLC |
Customer experience
SBIFF
Metropolitan Theatres
Bugs and requests
SBIFF
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Metropolitan Theatres
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues
- Tickets purchased for wrong date
- Payment processing problems
- App crashing or not updating information
Requested features
3 requests- Improve delineation between movie listings
- Allow applying loyalty points and paying with credit card
- Provide handicap/senior seating information
In-app purchases
SBIFF
No in-app purchases
Metropolitan Theatres
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SBIFF free?
Is Metropolitan Theatres free?
Which has better reviews, SBIFF or Metropolitan Theatres?
Do SBIFF or Metropolitan Theatres have ads?
Which is updated more often, SBIFF or Metropolitan Theatres?
Other comparisons
