Comparison

Padlok vs Bubbles for Discourse

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

Head to head
About

Padlok

Securely store and access all your addresses, codes, and intercom information. Receive timely notifications with access details as you approach a location. Personalize entries and share them securely with others.

Highlights
  • Store addresses, codes, and intercoms
  • Proximity-based access notifications
  • Home and lock screen widgets
  • Secure encrypted sharing
  • WatchOS support
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Stuck in front of an apartment building, scrolling through old messages for the door code? Padlok remembers every door code, gate code, intercom and floor for you — and shows them right when you arrive. THE CODE FINDS YOU Get close to an address and Padlok sends a notification with everything you need to get in: codes, intercom name, floor, and your notes. Just passing by? It quietly disappears. That's geofencing working for you, not watching you. And every address can set its own terms: the hours it may speak up, and the exact area that counts as arriving. No buzz from the office at the weekend, and a circle sized to the building instead of the street. EVERYTHING TO GET IN, ON ONE CARD - Door and gate codes, intercom, floor, and any access notes - Add addresses from Contacts, Maps, or a postal address - Grouped by town, so you can pull up one place at a time - Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets showing the nearest address - One-tap directions in your favorite maps app - On your wrist too, with the Apple Watch app SHARING YOUR GUESTS WILL LOVE Send an address with its codes as a secure link or a QR code. The code carries the address itself, so it scans with no signal on either side. Guests open it in the browser or an App Clip — no account, no install. Perfect for dinner parties, babysitters, and deliveries. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Door codes are secrets, and Padlok treats them that way: they stay in your own private iCloud, out of our reach, and every link you share is end-to-end encrypted, so nobody else can read it — not even us. No ads, no tracking, ever. MADE FOR EVERYONE Padlok speaks 26 languages, with full VoiceOver support, free app icon customization, and iCloud sync across all your devices. PADLOK PREMIUM Add as many addresses as you like for free — the three nearest stay open, notifications, sharing and widgets included. Premium unlocks: - Every address, not just the nearest three - Arrival notifications on as many as you like - The hours and the area each one announces you in - Custom colors, icons and door labels - Tags and filters, to find an address by context More info: https://padlok.app Terms of Service (EULA): https://padlok.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://padlok.app/privacy/

About

Bubbles for Discourse

Features
Read full description

Browse multiple communities in a unified, beautiful interface Join thousands of Discourse power users experiencing Bubbles for the first time Download Bubbles and experience Discourse discussions the way they were meant to be read. Thanks Claude. So Bubbles is a client for using Discourse. Add any Discourse URL to the app and read the latest 30 topics. xxx The Pro version of Bubbles uses auto-renewing subscriptions. Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes Account once you confirm your purchase. Your iTunes account will be charged again when your subscription automatically renews at the end of your current subscription period unless out renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID Account Settings any time after purchase. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://github.com/mikaelacaron/Bubbles-Privacy

Screenshots

Padlok4 screens
Bubbles for Discourse3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Padlok at every 3 weeks against Bubbles for Discourse's every 7 months. Padlok also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Padlok sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Bubbles for Discourse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Padlok ships an update every 3 weeks, Bubbles for Discourse every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Padlok versus Bubbles for Discourse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPadlokBubbles for Discourse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (19 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings19 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size136 MB18 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperIllumineeringIcy App Studio LLC

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Padlok

Subscriptions2
  • Padlok Premium monthly$0.991 Month
  • Padlok Premium yearly$6.991 Year
One-time7
  • Padlok lifetime (giveaway)Free
  • Coffee sized tip$1.99
  • Sandwich sized tip$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Pizza sized tip$9.99
  • Padlok lifetime (Sales)$11.99
  • Padlok lifetime (Upgrade)$14.99
  • Padlok lifetime$22.99
2 purchases

Bubbles for Discourse

Subscriptions2
  • Bubbles Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Bubbles Pro Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Padlok free?
Padlok is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bubbles for Discourse free?
Bubbles for Discourse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Padlok or Bubbles for Discourse have ads?
Neither Padlok nor Bubbles for Discourse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Padlok or Bubbles for Discourse?
Padlok ships an update every 3 weeks, and Bubbles for Discourse every 7 months. Most recently, Padlok was updated on October 24, 2026 and Bubbles for Discourse on October 11, 2026.

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