# Loop vs barnacle plans

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: barnacle plans at none against Loop's 13. barnacle plans also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Loop's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Loop sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. barnacle plans asks for nothing beyond the download.

barnacle plans holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Loop has 1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Loop ships an update every 6 weeks, barnacle plans every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Loop | barnacle plans |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-the-matchmaking-app/id6446096597/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnacle-plans/id6776530099/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 36.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 64 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LOOOPMEIN INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637680960) | [Sarah Smolen](https://appshunter.io/developer/6776530101) |

## What reviewers say

### Loop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-the-matchmaking-app/id6446096597)

Connect with new people through your existing social circle and shared communities. Discover potential matches by seeing who your friends know and requesting introductions. Facilitates connections based on events, locations, and shared interests.

**Highlights:** Matchmaking through friends, Request introductions, Event-based groups, Location-based groups, Community matching, Professional matchmaker integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loop Premium (1 Month) | $29.99 | per month |
| Loop Premium (3 Months) | $74.99 | per 3 months |
| Loop Premium (6 Months) | $119.99 | per 6 months |
| Loop Premium (1 Year) | $179.99 | per year |
| Premium Intro Request | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium Match Accept | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2 Premium Match Accepts | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2 Premium Intro Requests | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3 Premium Intro Requests | $19.99 | one-time |
| 3 Premium Match Accepts | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Group Unlock | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2 Premium Group Unlocks | $34.99 | one-time |
| 3 Premium Group Unlocks | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Great concept for matchmaking
- 🤝 Helpful for setting up friends
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎉 Success stories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for basic features
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🤖 Lack of communication with matches
- 🙅‍♀️ Inability to delete profile

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after recent updates
- Registration screen issues on certain devices
- Constant log-out problems
- Unreliable location feature

**Requested features**

- Ability to communicate with matches
- Improved search and filtering options
- Notification system for match outcomes
- Tools to help grow matchmaker groups
- More detailed user profiles


### barnacle plans

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnacle-plans/id6776530099)

Easily create and share your plans with friends, controlling who can see them and how many people can join. Streamline group hangouts by eliminating long planning threads and multiple chat groups.

**Highlights:** Create and share plans, Control visibility and group size, Import existing plans, See friends' plans, Simplify group hangouts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Loop free?

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

### Is barnacle plans free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Loop or barnacle plans?

barnacle plans is rated higher. Loop averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while barnacle plans averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Loop or barnacle plans have ads?

Neither Loop nor barnacle plans shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Loop or barnacle plans?

Loop ships an update every 6 weeks, and barnacle plans every 2 weeks. Most recently, Loop was updated on October 15, 2026 and barnacle plans on October 6, 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.*