# MeCycle vs Ridwell

The clearest difference is ads: MeCycle at none against Ridwell's shown. MeCycle also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 17.0). Ridwell's advantage is ratings volume (8.2K vs 5). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MeCycle against 4.9 for Ridwell. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ridwell has 8.2K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MeCycle | Ridwell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mecycle/id1545575416/reviews)** | [4.9 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **8.2K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 72.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Homecycle Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545575418) | [Ridwell, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623854287) |

## What reviewers say

### MeCycle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mecycle/id1545575416)

Easily recycle plastic, glass, and aluminum items by scanning their UPC codes. The app credits you for bottle deposits and allows cashouts via Venmo or PayPal once you reach $5. Register your recycling drop with bin QR codes to validate payments and track your impact.

**Highlights:** Scan UPC codes for recycling, Earn bottle deposit credits, Cash out via Venmo/PayPal, Register recycling drops with QR codes, Track recycling impact

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ridwell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075)

Easily dispose of hard-to-recycle items with convenient doorstep pickups. Schedule collections, track your impact, and feel good knowing your items are being reused or recycled by trusted partners.

**Highlights:** Schedule doorstep pickups, Collect hard-to-recycle items, Receive real-time notifications, Track community impact, Transparent item destinations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💚 Excellent for the environment
- 🙌 Convenient pickup service
- 🤗 Helpful customer service
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎉 Reduces waste

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Missed pickups
- 🤔 Inconsistent service
- 💰 Overcharging for extras
- 🏢 Inaccessible for apartment buildings
- 🤷‍♀️ Unclear communication

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect pickup status notifications
- Drivers unable to access buildings

**Requested features**

- Advance scheduling for pickups
- More recycling categories
- Proactive notifications for missed pickups


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MeCycle free?

MeCycle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ridwell free?

Ridwell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MeCycle or Ridwell?

MeCycle is rated higher. MeCycle averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Ridwell averages 4.9 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do MeCycle or Ridwell have ads?

Ridwell shows ads; MeCycle does not.

### Which is updated more often, MeCycle or Ridwell?

MeCycle ships an update every 2 months, and Ridwell every 2 months. Most recently, MeCycle was updated on June 5, 2026 and Ridwell on September 25, 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.*