eMates vs Spontu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
eMates
Facilitates easy and frequent communication between prisoners and their loved ones. Aims to reduce self-harm by fostering connections and aids in prisoner rehabilitation for release.
- Easy prisoner communication
- Secure messaging
- Reduced self-harm
- Release preparation assistance
- Frequent and varied communication
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eMates (emailaprisoner.com) has the following goals: To help family and friends communicate easily and frequently with Prisoners. To reduce thoughts of self-harm/suicide through increased communication. To assist Prisoners in preparation for release with multiple partner agencies. Communication is a major factor in Prison life and the lack of it can have horrendous consequences. eMates offers a quick, efficient, secure alternative method of communication for Prisoners, their families, friends, legal professionals and related organisations - meaning Prisoners can receive more frequent and varied communication. Documentation continually states Prisoners who are able to maintain family ties are 6 times less likely to re-offend. Please check the locations page to see what features are available at what establishment: https://www.emailaprisoner.com/content/locations
Spontu
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Spontu is a free noticeboard for students — one feed for everything people near you are offering and asking for. A picnic on Sunday. Help with a module before finals. A fridge someone can't take home. A room going in September. It is all posted by students at your university and the ones around you. SEE WHAT'S ON NEAR YOU One live feed, newest first, with everything students nearby have posted. Narrow it by category — Social, Housing, Study, Tickets, Stuff, Sport, Services, Opportunities and Meet people — search by keyword, sort by distance, or switch to the map to see what is happening around you. JOIN IN ONE TAP Found a plan you like? Tap join and turn up. No group chat to trawl through, no chasing, no maybes. You can see who else is going before you decide, and everything you have joined is kept in one place. OFFER IT, OR ASK FOR IT Post what you are offering — an event, a study group, a gym partner, gear to borrow, something you are giving away. Or post a request when you need something, and let the right people come to you. A title, a couple of details, and you are live on the feed. FIND YOUR PEOPLE Browse verified students at your university and message anyone directly. Useful in first week, after a move, or any time your usual group is not doing the thing you feel like doing. CHAT, AGREE, TURN UP Message the poster, work out the details, and confirm the handover in person when you meet. Group chats for plans with more than two people, and notifications for messages, joins and anything else that needs you. SAFE BY DEFAULT Every account is verified against a real university email address, with optional student ID verification on top. Handovers are confirmed in person, by both people. Ratings go both ways, so how you treat people follows you. Block and report tools sit one tap away on every profile and listing. FREE, AND FREE OF PAYMENTS Spontu is completely free to join and use. There are no prices, no fees, no subscriptions and no payments anywhere in the app — nothing is for sale and nothing is ever charged. Available in English, Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese.
Screenshots
Verdict
eMates and Spontu are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | eMates | Spontu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 4.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Unilink Technology Services | Hikari Suwa |
Bugs and requests
eMates
Reported bugs
32 issues- App crashes frequently
- Messages fail to send or are lost
- Messages fail to receive
- Login screen freezes or doesn't respond
- Cannot log in even with correct credentials
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- Account registration errors
- Password reset functionality not working
- Money added to account but not usable
- Apple Pay not accepted despite being advertised
- App freezes for several seconds upon opening
- Contacts disappear or duplicate
- Video calls not working
- Multi-factor authentication codes not received or invalid
- Emails marked as sent but appear as drafts
- No notifications for replies
- App crashes after updates
- Scanned reply pages not appearing
- Scrolling issues within the app
- Identity verification link not working
- Error messages when trying to upload ID or face scan
- App not connecting to the server
- Old messages disappearing or blank screens
- Photos attached multiple times and charged
- Dates on sent/received emails changing
- Support email addresses bounce back
- Neatphone facility connection problems
- App not refreshing and showing old messages
- Video visit requests disappearing
- Email sending process disappears mid-way
- Unable to schedule video visits
- App not user-friendly
- Confusing credit system
Requested features
18 requests- Improve app stability and reliability
- Fix message sending and receiving issues
- Resolve login and account access problems
- Address payment and credit issues
- Enhance customer support responsiveness
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Improve message delivery speed
- Fix video call functionality
- Ensure Apple Pay compatibility
- Streamline registration process
- Fix password reset and account recovery
- Provide clear instructions for account crediting
- Resolve multi-factor authentication issues
- Improve user interface and experience
- Add notifications for replies
- Allow saving contacts
- Make app more robust and less buggy
- Address issues with image uploads
- Provide clear communication on prison staff reliance
Spontu
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
eMates
No in-app purchases
Spontu
No in-app purchases









