# Pay Less vs Shoe Carnival

Pay Less and Shoe Carnival both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 49% of Pay Less's written reviews are positive against 11% of Shoe Carnival's. Pay Less also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Shoe Carnival's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.8 for Pay Less against 4.7 for Shoe Carnival. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.8K and 12K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Pay Less's written reviews are positive against 11% of Shoe Carnival's.

Pay Less ships an update weekly, Shoe Carnival every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pay Less | Shoe Carnival |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pay-less/id584454580/reviews)** | [4.7 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shoe-carnival/id908812707/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7.8K | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **49.0% of reviews** | 11.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 244 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Kroger Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/403901189) | [Shoe Carnival](https://appshunter.io/developer/908812710) |

## What reviewers say

### Pay Less

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pay-less/id584454580)

Simplify your grocery shopping experience with options for delivery, pickup, or in-store purchases. Access digital coupons, weekly ads, and personalized savings to manage your budget effectively. The app also offers tools for prescription refills and store location services.

**Highlights:** Grocery delivery and pickup, Digital coupons and weekly ads, Personalized savings and rewards, Scan recipes for ingredients, Pharmacy prescription management, Store and fuel center locator

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient pickup service
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 💡 Helpful digital coupons
- 🚗 Fuel points
- 👍 Friendly and helpful staff

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🔄 Frequent app updates
- 🤔 Confusing interface changes
- 🛒 Inaccurate inventory and substitutions

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and permission errors
- Disappearing shopping lists
- Inability to use digital coupons in-store

**Requested features**

- Ability to manage personal shopping lists
- Easier access to prescription refills
- Integration of paper coupons
- Improved search and filtering options
- More transparency on item locations in stores


### Shoe Carnival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shoe-carnival/id908812707)

This app provides a fun and convenient way to shop for family footwear. Earn rewards, access exclusive offers, and enjoy a seamless online and in-store shopping experience. Easily find your size, order online, or pick up purchases the same day.

**Highlights:** Shoe Perks Rewards program, Virtual rewards card, View and redeem points, Exclusive offers, Online ordering, Buy online, pick up in-store, In-store barcode scanning for online info

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great store with fast delivery
- 🛒 Variety of shoes available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Slow and laggy app
- 🤔 Unreliable app functionality
- 🔄 Frequent logout and loss of cart items
- 🙅‍♀️ Lack of user-friendly features (favorites, wish list)
- 💳 Payment issues (Klarna not working, multiple charges)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating back
- Login issues and inability to stay signed in
- Incorrect or missing product images

**Requested features**

- Add favorites/wish list feature
- Improve app stability and performance
- Enhance user experience and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pay Less free?

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

### Is Shoe Carnival free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pay Less or Shoe Carnival?

Pay Less is rated higher. Pay Less averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.8K ratings, while Shoe Carnival averages 4.7 from 12K ratings.

### Do Pay Less or Shoe Carnival have ads?

Pay Less shows ads; Shoe Carnival does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pay Less or Shoe Carnival?

Pay Less ships an update weekly, and Shoe Carnival every 2 months. Most recently, Pay Less was updated on October 17, 2026 and Shoe Carnival on October 16, 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.*