Puffing Billy 2023 vs eMates
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Puffing Billy 2023
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Choose a route and follow along as Santa and his elves ride on Puffing Billy, stopping to meet the children and spread a little Christmas cheer.
eMates
Facilitates easy and frequent communication between prisoners and their loved ones. Aims to reduce self-harm by fostering connections and aids in prisoner rehabilitation for release.
- Easy prisoner communication
- Secure messaging
- Reduced self-harm
- Release preparation assistance
- Frequent and varied communication
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eMates (emailaprisoner.com) has the following goals: To help family and friends communicate easily and frequently with Prisoners. To reduce thoughts of self-harm/suicide through increased communication. To assist Prisoners in preparation for release with multiple partner agencies. Communication is a major factor in Prison life and the lack of it can have horrendous consequences. eMates offers a quick, efficient, secure alternative method of communication for Prisoners, their families, friends, legal professionals and related organisations - meaning Prisoners can receive more frequent and varied communication. Documentation continually states Prisoners who are able to maintain family ties are 6 times less likely to re-offend. Please check the locations page to see what features are available at what establishment: https://www.emailaprisoner.com/content/locations
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Puffing Billy 2023 at 13.0 against eMates's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
Puffing Billy 2023 ships an update every 4 weeks, eMates fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Puffing Billy 2023 | eMates |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 2.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 4.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 546 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Weblication Ltd | Unilink Technology Services |
Bugs and requests
Puffing Billy 2023
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
eMates
Reported bugs
32 issues- App crashes frequently
- Messages fail to send or are lost
- Messages fail to receive
- Login screen freezes or doesn't respond
- Cannot log in even with correct credentials
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- Account registration errors
- Password reset functionality not working
- Money added to account but not usable
- Apple Pay not accepted despite being advertised
- App freezes for several seconds upon opening
- Contacts disappear or duplicate
- Video calls not working
- Multi-factor authentication codes not received or invalid
- Emails marked as sent but appear as drafts
- No notifications for replies
- App crashes after updates
- Scanned reply pages not appearing
- Scrolling issues within the app
- Identity verification link not working
- Error messages when trying to upload ID or face scan
- App not connecting to the server
- Old messages disappearing or blank screens
- Photos attached multiple times and charged
- Dates on sent/received emails changing
- Support email addresses bounce back
- Neatphone facility connection problems
- App not refreshing and showing old messages
- Video visit requests disappearing
- Email sending process disappears mid-way
- Unable to schedule video visits
- App not user-friendly
- Confusing credit system
Requested features
18 requests- Improve app stability and reliability
- Fix message sending and receiving issues
- Resolve login and account access problems
- Address payment and credit issues
- Enhance customer support responsiveness
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Improve message delivery speed
- Fix video call functionality
- Ensure Apple Pay compatibility
- Streamline registration process
- Fix password reset and account recovery
- Provide clear instructions for account crediting
- Resolve multi-factor authentication issues
- Improve user interface and experience
- Add notifications for replies
- Allow saving contacts
- Make app more robust and less buggy
- Address issues with image uploads
- Provide clear communication on prison staff reliance
In-app purchases
Puffing Billy 2023
No in-app purchases
eMates
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Puffing Billy 2023 free?
Is eMates free?
Do Puffing Billy 2023 or eMates have ads?
Which is updated more often, Puffing Billy 2023 or eMates?
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