HomeWAV vs HootBoard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HomeWAV
Connect with incarcerated loved ones through phone calls, video calls, and messaging. Manage funds, schedule visits, and receive notifications when they are available. This app facilitates communication and connection with inmates.
- Create free account
- Add and manage inmate contacts
- Manage funds and payment information
- Initiate phone and video calls
- Send messages to inmates
- Schedule onsite and remote visits
- Receive inmate login notifications
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HomeWAV Mobile App Features: - New to HomeWAV? Create a free account. - Returning visitor? Login with your username and password. - Fully registered and approved visitors will be able to choose the facility and add inmate. - See available funds, add funds or transfer funds. - Add, update or change credit/debit information. - Only pay for the minutes you use. No plans or packages. - Once logged in, the inmate will see you are available and can initiated a phone call, video call or message (*If allowed by facility). - Visitor will receive notification once inmate is logged in. - Easily schedule onsite visits (*If allowed by facility). - No scheduling required for remote video visitations. For best results, a WIFI connection and use of headset are suggested. Note: Not available at all facilities. Phone and video costs will vary.
HootBoard
Stay updated and contribute to your organization's digital bulletin board. Post announcements, events, and jobs on the go, and receive real-time notifications. Engage in discussions and manage content easily.
- Post updates on the go
- Receive push notifications
- View and add events to calendar
- Engage with comments and questions
- Filter content with collections
- Admin content review and management
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Introducing the HootBoard App. This is the place to stay up to date and to contribute to your organization's HootBoard. This app is part of the comprehensive bulletin board platform that works seamlessly across web, mobile, interactive kiosks and digital signage. Who is this app for? The app is designed for users who already have an account or are looking to join their organization's HootBoard. HootBoard is primarily used by workplaces where employees don't sit at a desk all day, universities, schools, residential communities and others to share critical announcements, events, notices, jobs and much more. Use HootBoard to: - Post hoots on the go. If your organization is using our digital signage or kiosks products, your displays will update like magic. - Receive push notifications of new activity on your board so you never miss a beat. - View all the hoots on your board. If it's an event you can add it right to your calendar. - Ask questions, have conversations and leave comments on hoots. - Easily filter through content on your board using collections. - Admins can get stuff done on the go too. Review and approve hoots with the tap of a button. For existing hoots, they can manage various settings like visibility, pinning, collections and more. Happy hooting!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: HootBoard at 50% against HomeWAV's 8%. HootBoard also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). HomeWAV's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 4) and rating (3.8 vs 3.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
HomeWAV holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HomeWAV has 11K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 8% of HomeWAV's written reviews are positive against 50% of HootBoard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
HomeWAV ships an update every 5 weeks, HootBoard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HomeWAV | HootBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (11K ratings) — better | 3.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 8.3% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #167 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HomeWAV | HOOTBOARD LLC |
Customer experience
HomeWAV
HootBoard
Bugs and requests
HomeWAV
Reported bugs
3 issues- App frequently logs users out unexpectedly
- Video calls often freeze or disconnect
- Inability to receive notifications of incoming calls
Requested features
3 requests- Keep users logged in to avoid constant re-logins
- Improve video/audio quality and reliability
- Provide more affordable pricing options
HootBoard
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
HomeWAV
No in-app purchases
HootBoard
No in-app purchases
