Comparison

Hometown Gate vs First Bell

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

Head to head
About

Hometown Gate

Manage event ticketing seamlessly with this app. Sell tickets, scan entries, and accept payments on your device. It offers offline functionality, flexible ticket delivery, and in-app reporting for efficient event management.

Highlights
  • Sell tickets on-the-go
  • Scan entries with device camera
  • Accept cash and credit card payments
  • Offline ticket validation
  • Flexible ticket delivery options
  • In-app reporting
Features
Read full description

Streamline Your Event Ticketing with Hometown Gate App! EFFORTLESS TICKET SALES & ENTRY MANAGEMENT The Hometown Gate app empowers you to manage your events with ease. Sell tickets, scan entries, and accept payments – all from your device! KEY FEATURES: • Sell Tickets On-the-Go: Accept cash, credit cards, or both for ticket and concession sales. • Fast & Secure Entry: Scan tickets with your device’s camera or search by name for quick entry. • Offline Functionality: Don’t worry about spotty Wi-Fi! The app works offline for ticket validation. • Flexible Ticket Delivery: Offer fans convenient options for receiving tickets - text, email, or print. • In app Reporting: Gain valuable insights with user and event reports. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS: • Increased Efficiency: Shorten lines and streamline entry with faster check-in. • Improved Fan Experience: Provide a smooth and convenient entry process for your attendees. • Enhanced Security: Secure ticket validation protects against fraud. SUPPORTED PRINTERS: • Boca & Star Printers: Connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for on-site printing. Powered by Hometown - Download the app today and take your event ticketing to the next level!

About

First Bell

This app helps high school students manage their daily class schedules with personalized views and live timers. Input your classes once to instantly organize your day and always know what's next.

Highlights
  • Personalized class schedules
  • Live timers for current block
  • View today's full schedule
  • Input class names and room numbers
  • Organized daily view
Read full description

FIRST BELL Lake Washington School District’s new high school bell schedule includes different start times, rotating blocks, and varying lunch schedules. First Bell keeps everything simple with a personalized schedule and live timers. Just enter your classes once, and your day is instantly organized. ** FEATURES * Edit: Input your class names, room numbers, and lunch. * Today's Schedule: View your full day’s schedule, synced to day of the week with live timers. * Current Schedule: A simple view of what class is happening now and what’s next. HOW IT WORKS
 Set up your classes in the app, and First Bell takes care of the rest. Your current block updates in real time, so you always know exactly where you’re supposed to be. WHY FIRST BELL
 No more paper schedules or scrolling through reminders. First Bell is built for high school students, by a high school student, to make staying on schedule effortless. Disclaimer This free app is provided 'as is' with no warranties, express or implied. The developer assumes no liability, implicit or explicit, for any issues arising from app usage. **This app is built for regular bell schedule days only.**

Screenshots

Hometown Gate4 screens
First Bell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Bell at 50% against Hometown Gate's 0%. First Bell also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Hometown Gate's advantage is ratings volume (55 vs 15) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

First Bell holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Hometown Gate's written reviews are positive against 50% of First Bell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hometown Gate ships an update monthly, First Bell every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hometown Gate versus First Bell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHometown GateFirst Bell
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (55 ratings)4.8 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings55 — better15
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHomeTown Ticketing, IncSubramanian Ramaswamy

Customer experience

Hometown Gate

All ratings55 ratings
Positive69.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative83.3%

First Bell

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hometown Gate

No in-app purchases

None

First Bell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hometown Gate free?
Hometown Gate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is First Bell free?
First Bell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hometown Gate or First Bell?
First Bell is rated higher. Hometown Gate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while First Bell averages 4.8 from 15 ratings.
Do Hometown Gate or First Bell have ads?
Neither Hometown Gate nor First Bell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hometown Gate or First Bell?
Hometown Gate ships an update monthly, and First Bell every 9 days. Most recently, Hometown Gate was updated on November 3, 2026 and First Bell on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons