# Ribbon vs Sugar

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ribbon at 94% against Sugar's 32%. Ribbon also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (65 vs 10). Sugar's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ribbon holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ribbon has 65 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Ribbon's written reviews are positive against 32% of Sugar's.

Ribbon ships an update every 6 weeks, Sugar every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ribbon | Sugar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbon/id572236506/reviews)** | [2.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sugar-chat-beyond-the-bubble/id6470037899/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **65** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **93.7% of reviews** | 31.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 36 MB | 281 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ribbon Labs, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/572236549) | [amo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1687141253) |

## What reviewers say

### Ribbon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbon/id572236506)

This app simplifies social planning by allowing users to see friends' events, search for activities and people, and merge personal calendars with social engagements. It helps manage invites, create new hangouts, and RSVP to events.

**Highlights:** Plan events with friends, See friends' events, Search events and people, Merge calendars, Manage event invites, Create hangouts and trips, RSVP to events

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🤝 Connects friends and family
- 🗓️ Great for event planning
- 🗺️ Helps coordinate meetups
- ✈️ Useful for travel plans

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Requires Facebook login
- 🔄 Limited city options
- 🤷‍♀️ Early stages of adoption
- ❓ Needs more users to reach potential

**Reported bugs**

- Facebook login required
- Limited city selection

**Requested features**

- Option to sign up with email/username
- Wider selection of cities
- More friends to adopt the app
- New features and updates


### Sugar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sugar-chat-beyond-the-bubble/id6470037899)

Express yourself beyond standard chat bubbles with a unique canvas for text, images, GIFs, and drawings. Personalize your conversations with custom text styles or traditional bubbles. Turn your messages into art with this innovative social experience.

**Highlights:** Unlimited canvas for messages, Add text, images, GIFs, and videos, Freehand drawing tools, Customizable text styles, Traditional chat bubble option

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Innovative concept
- 👍 Fun and refreshing social experience
- 💡 Unique way to interact with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Forced access to contacts
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🤔 Unclear value proposition
- 😕 Frustrating onboarding process

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Crashes and freezes
- Disappearing content
- Unresponsive controls

**Requested features**

- Add ability to delete content
- Improve navigation and UI
- Expand customization options
- Allow sign-up without inviting friends


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ribbon free?

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

### Is Sugar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ribbon or Sugar?

Ribbon is rated higher. Ribbon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Sugar averages 2.4 from 10 ratings.

### Do Ribbon or Sugar have ads?

Neither Ribbon nor Sugar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ribbon or Sugar?

Ribbon ships an update every 6 weeks, and Sugar every 2 days. Most recently, Ribbon was updated on October 23, 2026 and Sugar on October 30, 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.*