# Outside vs Couple Joy

Outside and Couple Joy both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Couple Joy's written reviews are positive against 52% of Outside's. Couple Joy also leads on ratings volume (40K vs 2.8K) and chart position (#104 vs unranked). Outside's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Outside sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Couple Joy sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Couple Joy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Couple Joy has 40K ratings behind it against 2.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Outside's written reviews are positive against 80% of Couple Joy's.

Outside ships an update every 9 days, Couple Joy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Outside | Couple Joy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/outside-countdown-for-couples/id1611434405/reviews) | **[4.9 (40K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couple-joy-relationship-app/id1624758651/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K | **40K** |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | **79.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#104** |
| Size | 144 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Outside HQ LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611434707) | [HEARTBIT S.R.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1816003168) |

## What reviewers say

### Outside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/outside-countdown-for-couples/id1611434405)

This app helps couples and friends share excitement for future events with collaborative countdowns. It offers customizable widgets for home and lock screens, allowing users to plan together and stay updated on important dates. Start for free and explore premium features for enhanced planning.

**Highlights:** Shared countdown creation, Customizable home and lock screen widgets, Collaborative event planning, Invite friends and family to join countdowns, Calendar sync, Recurring event support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Outside Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $4.49 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro Deal | $12.49 | per year |
| Annual Pro | $12.49 | per year |
| Outside Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Plan | $29.49 | per year |
| Outside Pro Annual | $31.49 | per year |
| Annual plan | $44.49 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Free home/lock screen countdown widget
- 👍 Simple and chic design
- 👍 Highly customizable
- 👍 Seamless calendar integration
- 👍 Useful AI assistant

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and glitches
- 💰 Subscription-based model, expensive pricing
- 🔒 Limits free features, forces paid subscription
- 🤔 Confusing and changing pricing structure
- 🤔 Lack of transparency around free vs paid features

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working after iOS updates
- Countdown events suddenly blocked by paywall
- Paid subscription not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More customization options for widgets
- Ability to delete or edit events
- Improved Android support
- Memories/map feature to track past events


### Couple Joy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couple-joy-relationship-app/id1624758651)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Grossing · Lifestyle, #173 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Strengthen your bond and stay connected with your partner, especially in long-distance relationships. Share your moods, track your distance, play games, and journal your memories together to foster intimacy and grow closer.

**Highlights:** Couple widgets, Real-time mood sharing, Distance tracking, Relationship anniversary tracker, Couple games, Daily relationship questions, Shared photo journal

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Couple Joy Premium | $12.99 | per month |
| Couple Joy Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Couple Joy Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Streak Repair | $0.99 | one-time |
| Streak Repair (2 days) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Streak Repair (3 days) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Streak Repair (4 days) | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for long-distance relationships
- 👍 Helpful for getting to know partner better
- 💡 Unique features like daily questions and widgets
- 🤩 Fun and engaging app
- 🥰 Brings couples closer together

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Too many features locked behind paywall
- 🤔 Some questions may not be suitable for all couples
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Messaging issues in horizontal mode
- Inconsistent widget behavior on iPad
- Distance widget not updating frequently enough

**Requested features**

- More free features and content
- Customizable widgets and journal
- Ability to opt-out of certain question types
- Improved iPad optimization
- Language translation support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Outside free?

Outside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Couple Joy free?

Couple Joy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Outside or Couple Joy?

Couple Joy is rated higher. Outside averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Couple Joy averages 4.9 from 40K ratings.

### Do Outside or Couple Joy have ads?

Neither Outside nor Couple Joy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Outside or Couple Joy?

Outside ships an update every 9 days, and Couple Joy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Outside was updated on November 3, 2026 and Couple Joy on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*