# Howbout vs Ekko

Howbout and Ekko both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Ekko's written reviews are positive against 42% of Howbout's. Ekko also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Howbout's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (52K vs 122). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Howbout sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Ekko sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Howbout against 4.8 for Ekko. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Howbout has 52K ratings behind it against 122, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Howbout's written reviews are positive against 87% of Ekko's.

Howbout ships an update weekly, Ekko every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Howbout | Ekko |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (52K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howbout-shared-calendar/id1477248221/reviews)** | [4.8 (122 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ekko-shared-photo-widget/id1539512364/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **52K** | 122 |
| Positive reviews | 42.0% of reviews | **86.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#63** | — |
| Size | 159 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Howbout Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477248220) | [ICEBREAKER STUDIO LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1403194831) |

## What reviewers say

### Howbout

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howbout-shared-calendar/id1477248221)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Free · Social Networking, #102 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Effortlessly coordinate plans with friends, family, and partners. This app simplifies scheduling by showing everyone's availability, centralizing event details, and providing real-time updates. It aims to reduce communication overhead and help you connect with the people who matter most.

**Highlights:** See everyone's availability, Centralize plan details, Share calendars or availability, Real-time notifications, Sync multiple calendars, Home screen widgets

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Howbout+ Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Howbout+ Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Helps with planning and organizing
- 💡 Useful features like polls, countdowns, and event chats
- 🤝 Facilitates sharing calendars and coordinating with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔀 Difficulty syncing with other calendars
- 📢 Overwhelming notifications
- 🔒 Forced to add friends to use the app

**Reported bugs**

- Calendar sync issues causing duplicate events
- Notifications not working as expected
- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to edit events without resending invites

**Requested features**

- Add widget support
- Allow customization of event colors
- Improve recurring event handling
- Add option to only share with specific people


### Ekko

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ekko-shared-photo-widget/id1539512364)

This app provides a shared digital photo frame widget for your home screen. It allows friends and family to send photos that appear directly on your device, creating an ever-changing display of shared memories. You can even send surprise photos that are 'gift-wrapped' for unwrapping.

**Highlights:** Home screen photo widget, Shared photo streams, Send photos to friends' home screens, Gift-wrapped photo surprises, Easy link-based sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Showcase Pro: Level 1 Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Showcase Pro: Level 2 Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Showcase Pro: Level 1 Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Showcase Pro: Level 2 Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for sharing photos
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Keeps friends/family connected
- 👍 Fun concept
- 👍 Private and intentional connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Photos disappear after 24 hours
- 🐛 Widget doesn't always update
- 🐛 Premium subscription issues
- 🐛 App is plain
- 🐛 No help button

**Reported bugs**

- Downloaded premium without subscribing
- Group names changing themselves
- Groups duplicating
- Photos duplicating
- Widget opens multiple photos

**Requested features**

- Add videos and audios (free version)
- Allow changing name
- Save photo history permanently
- Option for photos not to expire
- Fix widget update issue


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Howbout free?

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

### Is Ekko free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Howbout or Ekko?

Howbout is rated higher. Howbout averages 4.8 out of 5 from 52K ratings, while Ekko averages 4.8 from 122 ratings.

### Do Howbout or Ekko have ads?

Neither Howbout nor Ekko shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Howbout or Ekko?

Howbout ships an update weekly, and Ekko every 3 months. Most recently, Howbout was updated on November 10, 2026 and Ekko on November 3, 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.*