SpareRoom vs CalPenTab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpareRoom
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.
- Room and roommate search
- Thousands of UK listings
- On-the-go access
- User support
- Connect with housemates
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As the UK’s number 1 flatshare site, we’ve helped over 13,000,000 people to find their perfect room or roommate. With our apps, you can do it all while on-the-go. Repeatedly featured by Apple as App Of The Day and in the categories of Your New Home, Apps for the Weekend, What’s Hot, and Popular Apps and Games. Rated by The Sunday Times as one of the top apps on the App Store. SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE Whether you’re starting university, relocating to the UK, tired of living alone, weighing up what to do with an empty room, or, quite simply, searching for another flatmate or flatshare, we’re the service for you. UNRIVALLED CHOICE With thousands of flatsharing opportunities to choose from in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and right across the UK, you’ll be able to find your perfect flatmate or flatshare. OUR PHILOSOPHY Experience has taught us that flatsharing is as much about the people as it is about the property. To help you find the best of both, we provide unparalleled tools, choice, and support. As a result, on average, every 3 minutes someone finds a flatmate through SpareRoom. HELP & SUPPORT Our award-winning customer support team are here to help you with your search. If you require support, come across a problem, or want to provide feedback, you can get in touch by email (support@spareroom.co.uk) or phone (1 877 834 2909).
CalPenTab
Connect with your community and stay updated on all events and conversations. Watch videos and engage with content relevant to your interests. This app keeps you informed and involved.
- Join conversations
- Stay updated on events
- Watch videos
- Community engagement
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Stay tuned to everything happening in our community. -Join the conversation. -Stay tuned to events -Watch Videos and more
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SpareRoom at 4.7 against CalPenTab's 3.0. SpareRoom also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 15 months) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 2). CalPenTab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. SpareRoom sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. CalPenTab asks for nothing beyond the download.
SpareRoom holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. 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 50% of CalPenTab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, CalPenTab every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpareRoom | CalPenTab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (4.2K ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.7% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4.2K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 17+ |
| Developer | Flatshare Ltd | churchme LLC |
Customer experience
SpareRoom
CalPenTab
Bugs and requests
SpareRoom
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes and sign-outs
- Inconsistent behavior between app and website
- Issues with updating and editing listings
Requested features
4 requests- Better messaging/communication tools
- More advanced search and filtering options
- Improved verification of listings and users
- Feedback/review system for landlords/tenants
CalPenTab
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SpareRoom
- Boost$9.99
- 7-Day Upgrade2 variants$12.99
- 1-Week Upgrade2 variants$15.00
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- Verification$15.00
- 30-Day Upgrade$15.49
- 14-Day Upgrade$23.99
- 2-Week Upgrade$25.00
- 30-Day Upgrade2 variants$25.99
- 4-Week Upgrade2 variants$30.00
CalPenTab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SpareRoom free?
Is CalPenTab free?
Which has better reviews, SpareRoom or CalPenTab?
Do SpareRoom or CalPenTab have ads?
Which is updated more often, SpareRoom or CalPenTab?
Other comparisons
