Comparison

Black Sheep Coffee UK vs Formal Exchange

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

Head to head
About

Black Sheep Coffee UK

This app enhances your coffee shop visits by allowing you to pay, earn personalized rewards, and find nearby locations. Skip the line by ordering ahead and easily reorder your favorite drinks. Track your transaction history all in one place.

Highlights
  • Earn and redeem loyalty points
  • Personalized rewards and offers
  • Find nearest store location
  • Order ahead to skip the queue
  • One-click reordering of favorites
  • View order history
Features
Read full description

BLACK SHEEP COFFEE APP Get the most out of your Black Sheep Coffee experience! Our app is the most convenient way of paying and earning rewards each time you make a purchase. Scan your mobile QR to earn and redeem loyalty! EARN PERSONALISED REWARDS Exchange your loyalty points in-app for rewards when you visit Black Sheep Coffee. Looks out for exciting offers available exclusively on our app. FIND A STORE Easily find your way to your nearest store with our ordering store finder. ORDER AHEAD Skip the queue and order your coffee and more at Black Sheep Coffee ORDER AGAIN As a loyalty customer, you can simply reorder your favourites with one click! MY ORDERS Keep a record of all your transaction activity on the app Any questions? Please contact us at app@leavetheherdbehind.com

About

Formal Exchange

Features
Read full description

Every term, Formal places go empty. Someone spends weeks securing a seat, then a deadline moves or a train is cancelled — and because most colleges have no refund and no official resale, that place simply vanishes. Somewhere else, a friend of a friend would have taken it in a heartbeat. Formal Exchange puts those two people in touch. FORMAL TICKETS — OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE AND DURHAM • Pass on a Formal you can no longer attend, or find one you missed • Ticket Swap: trade a place at one college for a place at another, no cash needed • Every Formal listing shows the college, date, dress code, ID and entry rules, dietary options and transfer limits before you get in touch • Prices are capped at 120% of the college face value • Only verified Oxford, Cambridge and Durham university emails can publish Formal tickets AIRPORT RIDE-SHARES — EVERY UK UNIVERSITY • Landing at Heathrow with three suitcases? Find someone on the same day heading the same way • Post a pickup, destination, date and time — dates from a calendar, times from a list • Works both ways: from the airport to campus, or campus to the airport • Open to any UK university and any email, at the start of term, Christmas, Easter and summer TRAIN AND COACH TICKETS • Resell a train or coach ticket you can't use • Departure, arrival and journey time are shown automatically • Railcard requirements are clearly marked, so buyers know before they travel COLLEGE RATINGS AND RANKINGS • Rate Formals on food, hall, atmosphere, hospitality and value • Compare colleges within one university or across Oxford, Cambridge and Durham • Keep a record of every college you have visited SAFE BY DESIGN • In-app messages keep your phone number and email private until you choose to share them • Push notifications when someone messages you • Report or block anyone, at any time • Formal Exchange never handles payment — you agree terms directly with the other person • Edit or withdraw your listings whenever plans change Formal Exchange is an independent student project and is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Durham University or any college. College rules always come first.

Screenshots

Black Sheep Coffee UK3 screens
Formal Exchange4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Formal Exchange at fortnightly against Black Sheep Coffee UK's monthly. 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Black Sheep Coffee UK ships an update monthly, Formal Exchange fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Black Sheep Coffee UK versus Formal Exchange: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlack Sheep Coffee UKFormal Exchange
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (46 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings46 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB53 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperConilon LTDJIACHENG ZHENG

Bugs and requests

Black Sheep Coffee UK

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Loyalty QR code not displaying in the app
  • Inability to redeem loyalty points
  • App crashing or freezing during use
  • Student discount not working as expected
  • Order not registering or points not awarded

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a 'reorder' button for frequent orders
  • Integrate with mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
  • Improve loyalty program visibility and usability
  • Provide more transparency on loyalty points and rewards
  • Streamline the ordering process with fewer steps

Formal Exchange

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Black Sheep Coffee UK

No in-app purchases

None

Formal Exchange

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Black Sheep Coffee UK free?
Black Sheep Coffee UK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Formal Exchange free?
Formal Exchange is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Black Sheep Coffee UK or Formal Exchange have ads?
Neither Black Sheep Coffee UK nor Formal Exchange shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Black Sheep Coffee UK or Formal Exchange?
Black Sheep Coffee UK ships an update monthly, and Formal Exchange fortnightly. Most recently, Black Sheep Coffee UK was updated on November 3, 2026 and Formal Exchange on October 29, 2026.

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