# Ingress vs GO FRIEND

The clearest difference is ads: Ingress at none against GO FRIEND's shown. Ingress also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ingress sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and GO FRIEND sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ingress holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ingress has 5.5K ratings behind it against 985, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Ingress's written reviews are positive against 50% of GO FRIEND's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, GO FRIEND every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ingress | GO FRIEND |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181/reviews)** | [4.3 (985 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/go-friend/id1420003965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5K** | 985 |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **49.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 397 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Niantic Spatial, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807920956) | [takumi suzuki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420003964) |

## What reviewers say

### Ingress

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181)

Explore the real world as a battlefield in this augmented reality game. Choose a faction, discover hidden energy sources, and collaborate with others to control territories and influence the future of humanity. Your mission begins now.

**Highlights:** Explore real-world locations, Augmented reality gameplay, Choose between two factions, Capture and link virtual portals, Form teams and plan strategies, Participate in live global events

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C.O.R.E. Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| 1,200 CMU | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 CMU Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7,000 CMU Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 15,000 CMU Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 32,000 CMU Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 90,000 CMU Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| 200,000 CMU Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic game concept
- 👍 Great for getting exercise and exploring
- 🌈 Enjoyable community and social aspects
- 💡 Innovative location-based gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Concerns about stalking and harassment from other players
- 🤔 Confusing or cluttered user interface in newer versions

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account problems
- Inaccurate location tracking and portal detection
- Inventory management and recharging bugs
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to change factions without contacting support
- Better portal nomination and review process
- More in-game events and community activities
- Improved performance and stability on older devices


### GO FRIEND

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/go-friend/id1420003965)

Connect with trainers globally to participate in remote raid battles. Host raids by posting details and recruiting guests, or join worldwide raids by searching active invitations and sending friend requests.

**Highlights:** Find trainers for remote raids, Host raids by posting details, Recruit guest trainers, Search active worldwide raids, Join raids via invitations, Send friend requests

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 PLUGS (PREMIUM) | $0.99 | one-time |
| 550 PLUGS (PREMIUM) | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1100 PLUGS (PREMIUM) | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2200 PLUGS (PREMIUM) | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and convenient for raiding
- 🌍 Ability to raid globally
- 👥 Helps connect players for raids
- 🏆 Useful for getting rare/legendary Pokémon

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Long wait times to join raids
- 💰 Expensive paid features (plugs)
- 🤖 Hosts not sending invites
- 🤯 Confusing rating system
- 🔒 Lack of transparency/communication from developers

**Reported bugs**

- Refreshing issues after hosting raids
- Inability to rate players after raids
- Randomly getting banned/locked out of app

**Requested features**

- Group chat functionality
- Better raid coordination tools
- Refund system for unused raid passes
- Improved anti-abuse measures


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ingress free?

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

### Is GO FRIEND free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ingress or GO FRIEND?

Ingress is rated higher. Ingress averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.5K ratings, while GO FRIEND averages 4.3 from 985 ratings.

### Do Ingress or GO FRIEND have ads?

GO FRIEND shows ads; Ingress does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ingress or GO FRIEND?

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, and GO FRIEND every 3 months. Most recently, Ingress was updated on October 28, 2026 and GO FRIEND on October 26, 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.*