Comparison

JoinLinks vs Stepping Forward LA

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

Head to head
About

JoinLinks

Easily make meaningful friendships in real life by discovering or creating local hangouts and interest-based communities. Connect with others through a live feed and dedicated group chats to build lasting connections.

Highlights
  • Discover local hangouts and events
  • Create your own hangouts
  • Join interest-based communities
  • Connect via live feed and group chats
  • Share memories in community photo vaults
  • Build real friendships
Features
Read full description

Make Real Friends. Join Real Communities. Host Real Events. JoinLinks is the easiest way to build meaningful friendships in real life — and now, the easiest way to host the events and communities that bring people together. Whether you're new to a city or just looking to meet new people, JoinLinks helps you find others who share your interests and gives you the tools to turn connections into community. Create or join Links — real-world hangouts hosted by people nearby. From coffee meetups to weekend hikes, Links make it simple to get together in the real world. Build your Community — start or join interest-based communities, each with its own group chats, dedicated feed, event links, and private photo vault. Approve members, spin up multiple chat channels, and give your people a place to belong. Host and sell out your events — turn any Link into a ticketed event. Set prices, sell tickets right in the app, and check guests in at the door with a built-in scanner and live dashboard. The Wallet tracks your sales and payouts with simple Stripe setup.* Stay connected — share posts and photos on the Live Feed, reply in threads, @mention friends, and switch between accounts without logging out. Offline mode keeps your tickets and content available even when the venue Wi-Fi doesn't cooperate. Whether you're into running clubs, creative workshops, foodie adventures, or just want to meet good people, JoinLinks helps you make it happen. Key Features: • Discover local hangouts and events hosted by real people • Create your own Links and invite others to join • Sell tickets to your events and get paid, with check-in tools at the door* • Join interest-based Communities with group chats, feeds, and photo vaults • Post, react, and connect on the Live Feed • Switch between multiple accounts instantly • Access your tickets and content even when you're offline JoinLinks is your gateway to a more social, connected life. Wherever you are, there's a Link waiting for you. *Ticketing and payouts requires host verification. ToS: https://www.joinlinks.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.joinlinks.com/privacy

About

Stepping Forward LA

This app supports young adults transitioning out of foster care. It aims to empower them to achieve their full potential as they move into adulthood.

Highlights
  • Empower foster youth
  • Successful transition to adulthood
  • Reach full potential
Features
Read full description

Stepping Forward LA's mission is to empower young adults aging out of foster care to transition successfully to adulthood and reach their fullest potential.

Screenshots

JoinLinks4 screens
Stepping Forward LA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stepping Forward LA at none against JoinLinks's 3. Stepping Forward LA also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. JoinLinks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Stepping Forward LA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stepping Forward LA holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 40 and 47 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of JoinLinks's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stepping Forward LA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
JoinLinks versus Stepping Forward LA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJoinLinksStepping Forward LA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (40 ratings)4.9 (47 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4047 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size246 MB82 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperJoin LinksSFLA Test

Customer experience

JoinLinks

All ratings40 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

Stepping Forward LA

All ratings47 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

JoinLinks

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • JoinLinks Plus 3 Months$6.993 Months
  • JoinLinks Plus Yearly$24.991 Year
None

Stepping Forward LA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JoinLinks free?
JoinLinks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stepping Forward LA free?
Stepping Forward LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JoinLinks or Stepping Forward LA?
Stepping Forward LA is rated higher. JoinLinks averages 4.7 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Stepping Forward LA averages 4.9 from 47 ratings.
Do JoinLinks or Stepping Forward LA have ads?
Neither JoinLinks nor Stepping Forward LA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JoinLinks or Stepping Forward LA?
JoinLinks ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stepping Forward LA every 2 weeks. Most recently, JoinLinks was updated on September 30, 2026 and Stepping Forward LA on October 9, 2026.

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