# SpareRoom vs Turtle Bay

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Turtle Bay at none against SpareRoom's 10. Turtle Bay also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 49%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). SpareRoom's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 7). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpareRoom sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Turtle Bay asks for nothing beyond the download.

Turtle Bay holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpareRoom has 4.2K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of SpareRoom's written reviews are positive against 83% of Turtle Bay's.

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, Turtle Bay every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpareRoom | Turtle Bay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spareroom/id400181250/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turtle-bay/id1251500120/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **83.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flatshare Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/397979250) | [Turtle Bay Hospitality Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1376532202) |

## What reviewers say

### SpareRoom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spareroom/id400181250)

Find your ideal room or flatmate with the UK's leading platform. Browse thousands of listings across the UK, connect with potential housemates, and secure your perfect living situation on the go.

**Highlights:** Room and roommate search, Thousands of UK listings, On-the-go access, User support, Connect with housemates

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Boost | $9.99 | one-time |
| 7-Day Upgrade | $12.99 | one-time |
| 1-Week Upgrade | $15.00 | one-time |
| Verification | $15.00 | one-time |
| 14-Day Upgrade | $23.99 | one-time |
| 30-Day Upgrade | $25.99 | one-time |
| 4-Week Upgrade | $30.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for finding rooms/flatmates
- 💡 Useful features like filters
- 🌟 Positive overall experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💰 Expensive paid features
- 🤖 Fake/unresponsive listings
- 🚫 Discrimination in listings

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and sign-outs
- Inconsistent behavior between app and website
- Issues with updating and editing listings

**Requested features**

- Better messaging/communication tools
- More advanced search and filtering options
- Improved verification of listings and users
- Feedback/review system for landlords/tenants


### Turtle Bay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/turtle-bay/id1251500120)

Join a club to earn stamps with each visit and receive gifts after collecting a set number. Access exclusive content like recipes, playlists, and student perks. Turn on notifications for surprise freebies.

**Highlights:** Earn stamps on visits, Receive gifts after collecting turtles, Birthday gifts, Secret cocktails, Exclusive recipes, Playlists, Student perks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent in-restaurant service and staff friendliness
- 🍹 High-quality cocktails and drinks selection
- 🍽️ Delicious Caribbean food
- 🎉 Great atmosphere and ambiance
- 💰 Valuable loyalty rewards program with turtles and vouchers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and won't open
- 🐛 App login issues and authentication errors
- ⏱️ Slow service during busy periods
- ⏱️ Long wait times for drinks and food
- 🍽️ Inconsistent portion sizes

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes instantly since end of February update
- App won't open - constant loading errors
- Login fails with 'customer already exists' error message
- App won't load perks section despite emails about vouchers
- Rewards not properly credited after meals

**Requested features**

- Improve app performance and loading speed
- Better offline functionality for app
- More frequent and varied promotional offers
- Clearer explanation of how to earn and redeem rewards
- Expanded menu options beyond small plates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpareRoom free?

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

### Is Turtle Bay free?

Turtle Bay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SpareRoom or Turtle Bay?

Turtle Bay is rated higher. SpareRoom averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.2K ratings, while Turtle Bay averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do SpareRoom or Turtle Bay have ads?

Neither SpareRoom nor Turtle Bay shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SpareRoom or Turtle Bay?

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, and Turtle Bay every 4 months. Most recently, SpareRoom was updated on November 6, 2026 and Turtle Bay on November 6, 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.*