# Upstate Curious vs Spark

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spark at every 10 days against Upstate Curious's every 6 months. Upstate Curious's advantage is ratings volume (144 vs 1). On price, rating, ads 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 — 4.9 for Upstate Curious against 5.0 for Spark. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upstate Curious has 144 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Upstate Curious ships an update every 6 months, Spark every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Upstate Curious | Spark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstate-curious/id1546069358/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-nyc-date-night/id6784275552/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **144** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Brenn-White Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546069360) | [Faro.io Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827303228) |

## What reviewers say

### Upstate Curious

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstate-curious/id1546069358)

Discover local gems and connect with your community in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Find recommended restaurants, shops, and services, or ask for local advice. Meet new people and share your experiences in this vibrant region.

**Highlights:** Local discovery feed, Crowdsourced Q&A, Community profiles, Direct messaging, Interest-based connections, Local groups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Spark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spark-nyc-date-night/id6784275552)

Effortlessly plan your perfect New York City date night with curated itineraries for dinner, drinks, and dessert. Set your preferences and get a complete, walkable plan with real-time table availability and booking options.

**Highlights:** Customizable date night itineraries, Real-time table availability, One-tap booking via Resy, Walkable route planning, Venue highlights and reviews, Shared planning via iMessage

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Upstate Curious free?

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

### Is Spark free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Upstate Curious or Spark?

Spark is rated higher. Upstate Curious averages 4.9 out of 5 from 144 ratings, while Spark averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Upstate Curious or Spark have ads?

Neither Upstate Curious nor Spark shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Upstate Curious or Spark?

Upstate Curious ships an update every 6 months, and Spark every 10 days. Most recently, Upstate Curious was updated on November 3, 2026 and Spark on October 31, 2026.

---

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