Comparison

Hersheypark vs ParkBuds

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

Head to head
About

Hersheypark

Enhance your visit to Hersheypark and its associated attractions with this official app. Navigate the park, find detailed information on rides and shows, and personalize your experience with custom maps and alerts.

Highlights
  • Customizable park map with navigation
  • Ride wait time alerts
  • Attraction details and schedules
  • HPGO account for ride stats and photos
  • Food and shopping information
  • Service location finder
Features
Read full description

Maximize your Hersheypark® experience with The Official Hersheypark Mobile App! Find information on rides, attractions, entertainment, food, shopping, and more for Hersheypark, ZooAmerica® North American Wildlife Park, and Hershey's Chocolate World Attraction. Plus, navigate through the Park with our customizable map and create an HPGO account to view personalized ride stats and ride photos. Map Features - Show and hide attractions of interest to customize your own map of Hersheypark and ZooAmerica - Use the ‘Get Directions’ function for turn-by-turn navigation to any location* - Create ride wait time alerts for your favorite rides - Easily locate important services such as Ticketing Services, First Aid, Accessibility, Lost Children, Lost & Found, Barking Lot Day Kennel, and more - Locate restrooms, ATMs, lockers, smoking gazebos, and stroller/wheelchair rentals HPGO Features - Create and manage your HPGO account to collect ride stats, view ride photos, and connect your Fast Track purchases - Personalize your experience through your HPGO profile - Create reminder alerts for your favorite shows - Create a to-do list Attraction Details - Learn detailed information about all rides, shows, games, shops, services - View current ride information including closed rides and ride wait times - Search function to help find information about attractions - Filter/sort results by height, distance, name, and more - View daily entertainment and Hershey Character appearance schedules - Find information on food and drinks, including menus, ingredients and allergens - View hours for area attractions, including Hershey's Chocolate World Attraction, Hershey Story Museum, and more *Continued use of GPS running in the background may decrease battery life.

About

ParkBuds

Connect with fellow theme park enthusiasts to plan meetups, share ride experiences, and get real-time coaster status updates. Log your rides, track your credits, and discover your next ride crew. Enhance your park visits with community-driven information and social features.

Highlights
  • Live park map with enthusiast locations
  • Create and join meetup signals
  • Discover and connect with other park-goers
  • Real-time coaster status and wait times
  • Log park visits and track ride credits
  • Share trip reports and park experiences
Features
Read full description

Park Buds is the theme park companion built by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. Whether you're chasing credits, coordinating park days with friends, or just want to know if your favorite coaster is running with only one train before you get in line — ParkBuds has you covered. Park Map & Signals - Explore a live map of theme parks and see where enthusiasts are heading. - Create or join Signals — meetup plans for a park day, a future visit, or a multi-stop road trip. - Find your people and make every park day more fun. Discover Your Ride Crew (Station) - Browse nearby members and fellow enthusiasts in the Station. - See who shares your home park, favorite rides, and travel style. - Connect, follow, and build your crew. Feed, Posts & Messaging - Share trip reports, ask questions, and post about your park experiences. - Engage with a community that loves parks as much as you do. - Direct message friends or chat in Signal groups to coordinate on the fly. Live Coaster Status - Get real-time, community-powered status on every coaster in the park. - See operating conditions, estimated wait times, fast lane queues, and ops notes like train counts via community driven reports. Log Visits & Track Your Credits - Keep a complete history of every park day and every coaster you've ridden. - Log rides by visit, track ride counts, and build your lifetime credits list. - Capture and share a trip report card to commemorate every great park day. Filters & Park Discovery - Search parks, filter signals by date, park, or group size, and explore the community across the parks you love most. Park Buds Pro Take your experience further with a Pro membership: - See who viewed your profile - Advanced map & signal filters - Unlimited Signals - Exclusive achievement frames on your Station profile - Ride Crew Royalty flair Pro is available as a monthly or annual purchase. Park Buds is your home base for everything theme parks — the community, the coasters, and the days you'll never forget. Privacy: https://parkbuds.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://parkbuds.app/terms

Screenshots

Hersheypark4 screens
ParkBuds4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hersheypark at none against ParkBuds's 3. Hersheypark also leads on ratings volume (40K vs 12) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). ParkBuds's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads 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. ParkBuds sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Hersheypark asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Hersheypark against 4.8 for ParkBuds. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hersheypark has 40K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Hersheypark's written reviews are positive against 100% of ParkBuds's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hersheypark ships an update every 6 weeks, ParkBuds every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Hersheypark versus ParkBuds: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHersheyparkParkBuds
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (40K ratings)4.8 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40K — better12
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB103 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHershey Entertainment and Resorts CompanyJames Miller

Customer experience

Hersheypark

All ratings40,275 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews272 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral12.5%
Negative20.6%

ParkBuds

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Hersheypark

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and app freezes
  • Inability to get past splash screen
  • Incorrect parking information and directions
  • Concession stands not properly stocked
  • Unreliable park Wi-Fi connectivity

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to view only ride wait times
  • Option to lock in child height restrictions
  • Display all-day meal plan icon on map
  • Easier access to park hours information
  • Integration with family/friend location sharing

ParkBuds

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Hersheypark

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

ParkBuds

Subscriptions2
  • ParkBuds Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • ParkBuds Pro Annual$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • ParkBuds Pro Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Hersheypark free?
Hersheypark is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ParkBuds free?
ParkBuds is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hersheypark or ParkBuds?
Hersheypark and ParkBuds are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 40K and 12 ratings respectively.
Do Hersheypark or ParkBuds have ads?
Neither Hersheypark nor ParkBuds shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hersheypark or ParkBuds?
Hersheypark ships an update every 6 weeks, and ParkBuds every 8 days. Most recently, Hersheypark was updated on October 20, 2026 and ParkBuds on October 8, 2026.

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