Comparison

Ping vs Popped Up

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

Head to head
About

Ping

Share your current status and see where friends are on a live map. Get notified when friends are nearby and use quick pings to coordinate meetups. It's a location-based social utility for real-time updates.

Highlights
  • Map statuses of friends
  • Real-time friend location updates
  • Notifications for nearby friends
  • Quick ping feature for meetups
  • Live snapshot of friend activities
Features
Read full description

Stay close with your friends. Ping lets you share statuses, see where your friends are at, and get notified when they’re nearby. WHAT WE'RE ABOUT Whether you're looking to see who's free, what's going on, or simply want to share your vibe, Ping makes it easy. We put statuses on the map, giving you a live snapshot of what's happening with your friends. No more endless scrolling or planning – just real updates, in real-time. And just to be clear: we’re definitely not another social media app. We're a location-based social utility app (what a mouthful, how about just a social map). HOW WE DO IT • Map Statuses – our map shows you statuses from friends. Whether it's yoga in the park, a heated debate over pizza, or vibing with their plant collection, it's all mapped out and always changing. • Friend Alerts – get notified when your besties are nearby or making moves. Link up when they’re close, or keep tabs from afar. • Pinging – a throwback that repurposing because, why not? RIP Blackberry pings, and say hello to our quick, fun pings you can send to easily meet up with friends.

About

Popped Up

Discover the best pop-up events and freebies in NYC with curated lists and an interactive map. Get real-time intel on wait times and sold-out alerts, and connect with a community of fellow explorers.

Highlights
  • Curated pop-up lists
  • Interactive event map
  • Real-time wait times
  • Sold out alerts
  • Community event chats
  • Photo sharing
  • Add new pop-ups
Read full description

POP UPS WORTH GOING TO Our curated lists highlight the best of the best across NYC. Popped Up! ensures every stop is actually worth the trip. We’re currently 100% focused on NYC, with expansion to new cities coming soon. Join the community and find your next pop up :) DISCOVER EVERY DROP Find every pop up happening across NYC on one interactive map. From secret rooftop cafes to limited-edition fashion drops, Popped Up! keeps you in the loop with what’s trending right now. No more scrolling through social media to find where the action is—it’s all in one place. REAL-TIME INTEL Don't waste your afternoon standing in the wrong lines. Get live wait times and "sold out" alerts provided by the community on the ground. Know before you go if the exclusive matcha is out of stock or if the line is moving fast. JOIN THE SCENE Connect with the community through live event chats and shared photo albums. See the vibe before you arrive and chat with other attendees to coordinate your next city adventure. Don’t be that "Ugh, what’s the move?" person—see what everyone is talking about in real-time. SHARE THE DISCOVERY Spot something new on your walk? Easily add a new pop up to the map, upload your photos, and share the intel with your friends or the whole city. Help the community find the best hidden gems NYC has to offer.

Screenshots

Ping4 screens
Popped Up4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ping at every 2 days against Popped Up's fortnightly. Ping also leads on ratings volume (107 vs 34) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ping against 5.0 for Popped Up. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 107 and 34 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Ping's written reviews are positive against 100% of Popped Up's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ping ships an update every 2 days, Popped Up fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ping versus Popped Up: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPingPopped Up
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (107 ratings)5.0 (34 ratings) — better
Positive reviews97.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings107 — better34
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB74 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperSodality Technologies CorporationPopped Up, Inc

Customer experience

Ping

All ratings108 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive97.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.3%

Popped Up

All ratings33 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ping

Requested features

1 request
  • Get all friends on the app

Popped Up

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ping

No in-app purchases

None

Popped Up

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ping free?
Ping is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Popped Up free?
Popped Up is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ping or Popped Up?
Popped Up is rated higher. Ping averages 4.9 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while Popped Up averages 5.0 from 34 ratings.
Do Ping or Popped Up have ads?
Neither Ping nor Popped Up shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ping or Popped Up?
Ping ships an update every 2 days, and Popped Up fortnightly. Most recently, Ping was updated on October 24, 2026 and Popped Up on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons