# Tapatalk vs DEF CON Forums

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tapatalk at 49% against DEF CON Forums's 0%. Tapatalk also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (16K vs 6). DEF CON Forums's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tapatalk sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. DEF CON Forums asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tapatalk holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tapatalk has 16K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Tapatalk's written reviews are positive against 0% of DEF CON Forums's.

Tapatalk ships an update every 3 weeks, DEF CON Forums every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tapatalk | DEF CON Forums |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapatalk-200000-plus-forums/id307880732/reviews)** | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/def-con-forums/id1472107132/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **49.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 122 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Everforo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509209143) | [DEF CON, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472107131) |

## What reviewers say

### Tapatalk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapatalk-200000-plus-forums/id307880732)

Access and participate in over 200,000 online forums worldwide. Share photos and videos easily, and receive instant notifications. This app transforms how you engage with online communities on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Access 200,000+ online forums, Unlimited photo and video sharing, Instant push notifications, Easy posting, Mobile forum interaction

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.49 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Annual) | $4.99 | per year |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Yearly) | $4.99 | per year |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Annual) | $9.99 | per year |
| 1-month VIP pass | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Lifetime) | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient forum access
- 📚 Wide range of supported forums
- 🗓️ Helpful for keeping track of forum activity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Aggressive and intrusive advertising
- 🤯 Confusing and constantly changing UI
- 🔒 Login and permission issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to access password-protected forums
- Duplicate/missing post notifications
- Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions
- Broken 'like' and 'quote' functionality

**Requested features**

- Ability to start new threads
- More customization options
- Improved notification system
- Better support for image/media uploads
- Seamless integration with forum websites


### DEF CON Forums

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/def-con-forums/id1472107132)

Connect with the hacker and infosec communities. Discuss topics, plan for DEF CON conferences, and access the official forums directly through a streamlined interface. Supports multiple languages and prioritizes user privacy.

**Highlights:** Access DEF CON forums, Connect with hacker community, Infosec discussions, Conference planning, Multi-language support, Privacy-focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tapatalk free?

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

### Is DEF CON Forums free?

DEF CON Forums is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tapatalk or DEF CON Forums?

Tapatalk is rated higher. Tapatalk averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while DEF CON Forums averages 3.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Tapatalk or DEF CON Forums have ads?

Tapatalk shows ads; DEF CON Forums does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tapatalk or DEF CON Forums?

Tapatalk ships an update every 3 weeks, and DEF CON Forums every 3 months. Most recently, Tapatalk was updated on October 15, 2026 and DEF CON Forums on September 16, 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.*