# Howbout vs Locket Widget

Howbout and Locket Widget both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Locket Widget's written reviews are positive against 42% of Howbout's. Locket Widget also leads on ratings volume (580K vs 50K) and chart position (#15 vs #69). Howbout's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Howbout sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Locket Widget sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 Locket Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Locket Widget has 580K ratings behind it against 50K, 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 81% of Locket Widget's.

Howbout ships an update weekly, Locket Widget every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Howbout | Locket Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (50K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/howbout-shared-calendar/id1477248221/reviews) | [4.8 (580K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locket-widget/id1600525061/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 50K | **580K** |
| Positive reviews | 42.2% of reviews | **80.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #69 | **#15** |
| Size | 155 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Howbout Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477248220) | [Locket Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600525063) |

## What reviewers say

### Howbout

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

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Free · Social Networking, #128 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

This app simplifies social planning by allowing friends to share calendars, coordinate events, and see each other's availability. It helps move plans out of group chats and into a centralized, customizable space with integrated communication features.

**Highlights:** Shared calendars for friends, Color-coded events, Plan details with notes and pictures, Share and view friend availability, Integrated group chat and DMs, Sync external calendars, Home screen widgets

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Howbout+ Monthly | $3.99 | 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 |

**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


### Locket Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locket-widget/id1600525061)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Free · Social Networking, #61 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Share live photos with your closest friends directly on your Home Screen. See real-time updates from your best friends every time you unlock your phone. React to their photos and build a shared history of memories.

**Highlights:** Live photo widget for Home Screen, Real-time photo sharing with friends, Send photos by tapping the widget, React to friends' photos with emojis, Build a history of shared Lockets, Monthly recap videos of shared photos, Dedicated widgets for specific friends

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Locket Gold | $1.99 | per month |
| Locket Gold | $2.99 | per month |
| Locket Gold | $3.99 | per month |
| Locket Gold | $4.99 | per month |
| Locket Gold | $10.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $15.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $16.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $20.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $36.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $36.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $48.00 | per year |
| Locket Gold | $60.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fun and unique app
- 🤝 Great way to stay connected with friends
- 🏠 Convenient home screen widget
- 🔒 Safe and private social interaction
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited friend/widget options
- 🔍 Can't select who to send photos to
- 🔍 Can't delete or edit photos
- 🔍 No notifications when friends send photos

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Widget not updating with new photos
- Issues with sending/receiving photos
- Login/account problems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to upload photos from camera roll
- Allow more than 20 friends
- Add option for multiple widgets for different friends/groups
- Implement photo editing tools (text, drawing, filters)
- Add video/boomerang support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Howbout free?

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

### Is Locket Widget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Howbout or Locket Widget?

Howbout and Locket Widget are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 50K and 580K ratings respectively.

### Do Howbout or Locket Widget have ads?

Locket Widget shows ads; Howbout does not.

### Which is updated more often, Howbout or Locket Widget?

Howbout ships an update weekly, and Locket Widget every 4 days. Most recently, Howbout was updated on October 18, 2026 and Locket Widget on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Howbout or Locket Widget?

Howbout currently peaks at #69 in the App Store charts, and Locket Widget at #15. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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