Comparison

Poppin vs CIRCLES

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

Head to head
About

Poppin

Discover and host real-life events with friends. RSVP, find nearby parties, and connect with groups. Features include ticketing, guest list management, and in-app chat for seamless event planning and attendance.

Highlights
  • Event discovery and RSVP
  • Create and host parties
  • Friend activity tracking
  • Group and club connections
  • In-app ticketing and scanning
  • Event chat and communication
  • Host event analytics
Features
Read full description

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.

About

CIRCLES

Connect with other friend groups to make plans and create memories. Discover and match with squads of up to four for social outings, from nights out to trips.

Highlights
  • Form squads of up to four
  • Discover and match with other squads
  • Plan group outings and activities
  • Facilitate social connections
  • Expand your social circle
Features
Read full description

Circles is here to revolutionize the way we make plans, from electrifying night outs to cozy double dates, exhilarating ski trips, or simply grabbing a bite with new friends. Our innovative approach encourages you to team up with your friends, forming squads of up to four, to discover and match with other squads. It's about creating memories, sharing laughs, and enjoying the moment in a setting that feels familiar and exciting at the same time. Circles believes in the power of group dynamics to foster genuine connections and unforgettable moments. By moving away from the traditional one-on-one meetups, we open the door to a world where socializing feels natural, and every meet is a chance to expand your circle and experiences. You are already going out with your friends anyway in search of meeting other friend groups out, so why not increase your exposure and have access to every friend group in your city at your fingertips :)

Screenshots

Poppin4 screens
CIRCLES4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CIRCLES at none against Poppin's shown. CIRCLES also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Poppin's advantage is ratings volume (610 vs 47). On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CIRCLES holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Poppin has 610 ratings behind it against 47, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Poppin's written reviews are positive against 100% of CIRCLES's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Poppin ships an update every 5 days, CIRCLES weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Poppin versus CIRCLES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPoppinCIRCLES
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (610 ratings)5.0 (47 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings610 — better47
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB81 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperPoppin Technologies Inc.Circles Social, Inc.

Customer experience

Poppin

All ratings479 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive83.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative15.3%

CIRCLES

All ratings47 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral2.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

User reviews

Poppin

From 610 App Store ratings

What 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

CIRCLES

From 47 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Innovative concept
  • 🤝 Facilitates making friends
  • 🥳 Group dating is fun
  • 😊 Less pressure
  • 👍 Natural interactions

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 more
  • 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

CIRCLES

No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.

In-app purchases

None

Poppin

No in-app purchases

None

CIRCLES

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Poppin free?
Poppin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CIRCLES free?
CIRCLES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Poppin or CIRCLES?
CIRCLES is rated higher. Poppin averages 4.7 out of 5 from 610 ratings, while CIRCLES averages 5.0 from 47 ratings.
Do Poppin or CIRCLES have ads?
Poppin shows ads; CIRCLES does not.
Which is updated more often, Poppin or CIRCLES?
Poppin ships an update every 5 days, and CIRCLES weekly. Most recently, Poppin was updated on November 3, 2026 and CIRCLES on November 3, 2026.

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