# SpareRoom vs Roome

SpareRoom and Roome both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Roome's written reviews are positive against 49% of SpareRoom's. Roome also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). SpareRoom's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 2). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpareRoom sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Roome asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpareRoom holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpareRoom has 4.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of SpareRoom's written reviews are positive against 92% of Roome's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, Roome every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpareRoom | Roome |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spareroom/id400181250/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roome/id1537971398/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 48.7% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 60 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flatshare Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/397979250) | [Roome.Uni Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537971400) |

## 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 (9)**

| 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 |
| 30-Day Upgrade | $15.49 | one-time |
| 14-Day Upgrade | $23.99 | one-time |
| 2-Week Upgrade | $25.00 | 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


### Roome

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roome/id1537971398)

This app simplifies student housing by helping users find properties, connect with compatible housemates, and manage shared living spaces. It offers features for property search, housemate matching, group collaboration, and bill management, all tailored for students.

**Highlights:** All-in-one property search, Housemate matching by preferences, Student-only room listings, Group collaboration for house hunting, Effortless bill management, Advanced search filters

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpareRoom free?

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

### Is Roome free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SpareRoom or Roome?

SpareRoom is rated higher. SpareRoom averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.2K ratings, while Roome averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do SpareRoom or Roome have ads?

Roome shows ads; SpareRoom does not.

### Which is updated more often, SpareRoom or Roome?

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, and Roome every 5 days. Most recently, SpareRoom was updated on October 26, 2026 and Roome on October 24, 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.*