Poppin vs Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Poppin
Discover and host real-life events with friends and groups. RSVP to nearby parties, manage guest lists, and sell tickets seamlessly. Connect with your community and build authentic social networks.
- Discover nearby events
- Create and host parties
- RSVP and join guest lists
- In-app ticketing and scanning
- Connect with friends and groups
- Event discovery feed
- Organization event management
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Poppin is the digital hub for your in-real-life connections. RSVP to and create events in a flash, see where your friends are going, and party with your clubs and groups. All in one place. ATTEND NEARBY EVENTS See who’s going, join the guest list, and purchase tickets directly in-app. Find popular, live, or free events on a map using the Discover Feed. See events your friends are attending, get tickets, and use Poppin to scan in quickly. Anyone can create an event; it’s completely free. FIND YOUR PEOPLE Build an authentic network of friends. See which events your friends are going to, share profiles and events with others, and RSVP together. Chat with others going to your event. CONNECT IN ORGS Clubs, Frats, and Organizations love Poppin Organizations to seamlessly host events. Easily join your campus community using your email; or, find your niche by exploring Organizations. Easily attend and host events with others in your org. POWERFUL TICKETING FEATURES Hosts trust Poppin with ticketing and scanning. Easily fill your guest-list with event discovery in our launched areas. Experience first-class ticketing features like text blasts, customizable links, and advanced metrics. It’s all powered by the Party Dashboard for Hosts. And you get paid 100% of your ticket sales, all in-app, with Host Payouts. PRIVACY AND SAFETY AT OUR CORE Your privacy and security is our #1 priority. Report misconduct at an event anonymously in real-time. Create events and groups that you can privately share with your friends or by link. Get refunded for events you’ve disputed. All on your iPhone.
Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
Connect with communities that matter to you by creating memes, sharing jokes, and sending direct messages. All posts, comments, and messages are anonymous, allowing for authentic self-expression. Find your people and engage in discussions without revealing your identity.
- Anonymous posting and messaging
- Community creation and joining
- Meme and joke sharing
- Direct messaging
- Authentic self-expression
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Sidechat is the best way to connect with the communities that matter to you most. Create memes, post jokes, share thoughts, slide into DMs, and more. All posts, comments, and messages are anonymous, so feel free to be your most authentic. Terms of Service: https://sidechat.notion.site/Sidechat-Terms-of-Use-d2f718ddad2f403b85bba67078fbdf18
Screenshots
Verdict
Poppin and Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･ both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Poppin's written reviews are positive against 24% of Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･'s. Poppin also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･'s advantage is ratings volume (5.1K vs 617) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Poppin asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Poppin against 4.6 for Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･ has 5.1K ratings behind it against 617, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Poppin's written reviews are positive against 24% of Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･'s.
Poppin ships an update every 5 days, Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･ weekly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | Poppin | Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (617 ratings) — better | 4.6 (5.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.5% of reviews — better | 24.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 617 | 5.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 276 MB | 196 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Poppin Technologies Inc. | Flower Ave Inc |
Customer experience
Poppin
Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
User reviews
Poppin
From 617 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🎉 Simplifies finding parties and events
- 🚀 Efficient event discovery and ticketing
- 💬 Great in-app communication features
- 🎫 Convenient QR code ticket scanning
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy onboarding and sign-up process
- 📍 Location detection issues
- 🔒 Security concerns with Instagram login
- 😞 Limited geographic coverage outside LA/California
Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
From 5.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⭐ Amazing app for Swifties
- 🤗 Friendly and welcoming community
- 🎉 Fun and entertaining content
Room to improve
- 🤬 Rude and toxic comments
- 🔇 Lack of moderation and content control
- 🚫 Restricted access for non-college users
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with required college email
- 🐛 Verification code issues and app crashes
Bugs and requests
Poppin
Reported bugs
10 issues- Search function fails when entering college name
- Phone number format validation error on account deletion
- App freezes on bottle loading screen
- Location constantly resets to wrong region
- Student email verification causes error and app crash
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Update notification appears but no update available in App Store
- App won't open after purchase of tickets
- Sign-up process has multiple bugs preventing completion
- Instagram login linked to account hacking incidents
- Glitchy interface with non-functional features
Requested features
5 requests- Expand school database with more universities
- Improve customer support beyond Zoom calls
- Add more event coverage outside California
- Enhance social features for connecting with friends
- Better safety verification for events
Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
Reported bugs
3 issues- Verification code not being sent
- Frequent app crashes and login issues
- Accounts being locked out for no reason
Requested features
3 requests- Allow users to kick out disruptive members from group chats
- Improve content moderation to address harassment and hate speech
- Provide more options for non-college users to access the app
In-app purchases
Poppin
No in-app purchases
Sidechat ｡･ﾟﾟ･
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Sidechat Monthly (Early Bird)$4.991 Month
- Monthly$6.991 Month
