# Whiteboard vs Widget Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Widget Buddy at 100% against Whiteboard's 43%. Widget Buddy also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2). Whiteboard's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Whiteboard sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Widget Buddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Widget Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whiteboard has 465 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Whiteboard's written reviews are positive against 100% of Widget Buddy's.

Whiteboard ships an update fortnightly, Widget Buddy every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Whiteboard | Widget Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (465 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiteboard-widget-messaging/id1544528796/reviews) | **[4.9 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-buddy-livein-friends/id1637158421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **465** | 34 |
| Positive reviews | 43.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ample Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/921349096) | [Bashar Almadi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163630170) |

## What reviewers say

### Whiteboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiteboard-widget-messaging/id1544528796)

Share drawings, photos, and messages directly to friends' home screen widgets. This app offers creative drawing tools and group messaging for fun, visual communication.

**Highlights:** Send doodles, drawings, and photos to widgets, Customizable drawing tools with saved presets, Add photos from library or camera, Create and message in groups, Multiple widget options for different views, Private by default friend connections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Doodle - 1 Day Boost | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mountainous Tip | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Fun and creative drawing app for couples and friends
- 📱 Widget feature for home screen display
- ✉️ Easy message sharing between contacts
- 🎨 Drawing tools and color wheel functionality
- 📧 Email-based authentication (no phone number required)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget consistently fails to display messages
- 🐛 App crashes frequently, especially after recent updates
- 🐛 Drawing features broken (undo, zoom, color selection)
- ⚠️ Recent update significantly degraded functionality
- 💸 Hidden charges not clearly disclosed

**Reported bugs**

- Widget displays blank or grey, doesn't show messages
- App freezes and crashes when zooming in on drawings
- Undo function causes drawings to disappear or app to crash
- Color selection doesn't apply to drawings
- Zoom feature removed in recent update, breaking functionality

**Requested features**

- Zoom in/out functionality for detailed drawing
- Eyedropper/color picker tool
- Layer support for complex drawings
- Ability to delete drawings from profile
- Ability to delete groups


### Widget Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-buddy-livein-friends/id1637158421)

Share live photos and drawings with friends and loved ones directly on your Home Screen. This app offers a fun and secure way to stay connected, perfect for families and couples.

**Highlights:** Home Screen Widget, Send photos from gallery, Take photos with camera, Add fun stickers, Drawing canvas, Add friends via email, Sign in with Apple ID

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $7.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Whiteboard free?

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

### Is Widget Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Whiteboard or Widget Buddy?

Widget Buddy is rated higher. Whiteboard averages 4.2 out of 5 from 465 ratings, while Widget Buddy averages 4.9 from 34 ratings.

### Do Whiteboard or Widget Buddy have ads?

Widget Buddy shows ads; Whiteboard does not.

### Which is updated more often, Whiteboard or Widget Buddy?

Whiteboard ships an update fortnightly, and Widget Buddy every 2 months. Most recently, Whiteboard was updated on October 24, 2026 and Widget Buddy on October 24, 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.*