# SpareRoom vs Upper Residence

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Upper Residence at none against SpareRoom's 13. SpareRoom's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, Upper Residence every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpareRoom | Upper Residence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spareroom/id400181250/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flatshare Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/397979250) | [Global NoticeBoard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163498664) |

## 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


### Upper Residence

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upper-residence/id6762589996)

**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 Upper Residence free?

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

### Do SpareRoom or Upper Residence have ads?

Neither SpareRoom nor Upper Residence shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SpareRoom or Upper Residence?

SpareRoom ships an update fortnightly, and Upper Residence every 4 months. Most recently, SpareRoom was updated on October 2, 2026 and Upper Residence on September 27, 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.*