GroupMe vs Yik Yak
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GroupMe
Connect with family, friends, and colleagues through group chats, direct messages, and shared media. Easily add members via phone number or email, control notifications, and express yourself with custom emojis and GIFs. Share photos and videos to relive memories later.
- Group chat creation
- Direct messaging
- Custom emoji and GIFs
- Photo and video sharing
- Notification control
- Web access
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GroupMe - the free, simple way to stay in touch with the people who matter most. Family. Roommates. Friends. Coworkers. Teams. Vacations. Greek Life. Bands. Faith Groups. Events. “Lifechanger.... utterly indispensable” -Gizmodo START CHATTING Add anyone to a group via their phone number or email address. If they don’t have the app, they can start chatting over SMS immediately. CONTROL NOTIFICATIONS You’re in charge! Mute specific chats, or the entire app – you can even leave or end group chats. SAY MORE THAN WORDS With an extensive set of exclusive emoji, you can express yourself in a whole new way. THE WHOLE INTERNET IN YOUR GROUP Meme images, search for and send GIFs and videos, and see content shared from URLs displayed in the chat. SHARE NOW, RELIVE LATER The gallery saves your memories. Easily explore the photos and videos shared in your group now, or later. LEAVE TEXTING BEHIND With direct messages, you can use all the features you love for group chat, but one-on-one. CHAT WHEREVER YOU ARE Including from your computer at groupme.com Stay in touch whether you’re separated by a hallway or a hemisphere. Get your group together. We want to hear your feedback! Support: https://aka.ms/groupmesupport Twitter: @GroupMeSupport Facebook: facebook.com/groupme Instagram: @GroupMe Love, Team GroupMe NOTE: SMS chat currently available in US only. Standard text messaging rates may apply. Privacy Policy: https://groupme.com/privacy Made with love in Seattle
Yik Yak
Connect with local communities anonymously. Share thoughts, jokes, and memes, and engage in direct messages. Express yourself authentically without revealing your identity.
- Anonymous posting
- Local community connection
- Meme creation
- Joke sharing
- Direct messaging
- Authentic self-expression
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Yik Yak is the best way to connect with the communities that matter to you most. Create memes, post jokes, share thoughts, slide into DMs, and more. All posts, comments, and messages are anonymous, so feel free to be your most authentic. Terms of Service: https://www.yikyak.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GroupMe at 4.7 against Yik Yak's 3.9. GroupMe also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.6M vs 52K). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. GroupMe sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Yik Yak sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GroupMe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GroupMe has 1.6M ratings behind it against 52K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of GroupMe's written reviews are positive against 25% of Yik Yak's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | GroupMe | Yik Yak |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.6M ratings) — better | 3.9 (52K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 29.8% of reviews — better | 25.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.6M — better | 52K |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #12 — better | #36 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 385 MB | 195 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Skype Communications S.a.r.l | Yik Yak, Inc. |
Customer experience
GroupMe
Yik Yak
User reviews
GroupMe
From 1.6M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent group communication
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🚀 Reliable
- 👍 Versatile for various use cases
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Syncing and loading issues
- 🐛 Notification problems
- 🐛 Bugs with media uploads
- 🐛 Laggy performance
Yik Yak
From 52K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Entertaining and engaging app
- 🤝 Sense of community and connection
- 💡 Unique concept of anonymous local discussions
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and loading issues
- 🤖 Inconsistent and overly strict moderation
- 💬 Rampant bullying, harassment, and toxic behavior
- 🔒 Lack of user safety and accountability
Bugs and requests
GroupMe
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to log in or account issues
- Problems with adding/removing group members
- Disappearing messages and chat history
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to delete/edit messages
- Announcement mode for admins
- Pinned messages
- Improved group management features
- Better cross-device/platform sync
Yik Yak
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to delete own posts
- Inconsistent application of content filters
- Notifications not linking to correct posts
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to mute or filter specific keywords or users
- Improved notification system and post history tracking
- Expansion of location radius beyond college campuses
- Addition of user profiles and photo/link sharing
In-app purchases
GroupMe
- Most Wanted Emoji Pack$0.99
- Michigan Wolverines Emoji Pack$0.99
- Wisconsin Badgers Emoji Pack$0.99
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- Florida Gators Emoji Pack$0.99
- March Madness Emoji Pack$0.99
- Most Wanted 2 Emoji Pack$0.99
- University of Alabama Emoji Pack$1.99
- University of Texas Emoji Pack$1.99
- Adventure Time$1.99
- University of Notre Dame Emoji$1.99
Yik Yak
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Monthly (Early Bird)$4.991 Month
- Monthly$6.991 Month
