Awful vs Strict Browser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Awful
Access and navigate the Something Awful forums with ease on your iPhone and iPad. Enjoy features like bookmarked threads, image uploads, private messages, and a dedicated smilie keyboard. This app offers a streamlined browsing experience for forum enthusiasts.
- Browse all forums and subforums
- Access bookmarked threads
- Built-in SALR functionality
- Smilie stickers and keyboard
- Image and picture uploads
- Private message access
- Favorite forums and rap sheets
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Browse the Something Awful forums nicely on your iPhone and iPad! • Every forum and subforum! • Quickly check your bookmarked threads! • Built-in SALR! • Smilie stickers and keyboard! • Upload images and pictures! • Private messages! • Favorite forums! • Rap sheets! • Excessive exclamation marks!
Strict Browser
Browse the web quickly and privately without unwanted redirects. Lock specific URLs to prevent being taken to other sites, ensuring a focused and secure online experience. Ideal for users prioritizing speed and privacy.
- Fast web browsing
- Private browsing
- No ad redirects
- URL locking feature
- User-friendly interface
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Strict Browser is your go-to solution for fast, private browsing with no redirects. Strict Browser allows you to browse the web, and lock a url in place so no ads can redirect you to another site! - User-Friendly Interface: Enjoy quick and efficient web access. - No Ad Redirects: Use the Lock button to lock a site in place and stop unwanted redirects! Strict Browser is the ideal choice for users who value fast, private browsing with no Ad Redirects! Download now to stop unwanted redirects!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Awful at 239 against Strict Browser's 2. Strict Browser's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 87%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Awful against 5.0 for Strict Browser. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Awful has 239 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Awful's written reviews are positive against 100% of Strict Browser's.
Awful ships an update every 8 days, Strict Browser every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Awful | Strict Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (239 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 239 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Dale Stonall-Mellor | SNAPSHOTZ DEVELOPMENT |
Customer experience
Awful
Strict Browser
Bugs and requests
Awful
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when opening certain forums
- Inability to load images and media
- Freezing and lagging on older devices
- Sync issues between app and website
Requested features
4 requests- Add search functionality
- Implement dark mode option
- Improve thread navigation and bookmarking
- Integrate with other social platforms
Strict Browser
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Awful
No in-app purchases
Strict Browser
No in-app purchases
