Comparison

Poke vs Cosmo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Poke

Experience a new era of social networking with augmented reality. Create and discover holographic content on a map-based world, and gain control of territories to earn ad revenue.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality social networking
  • Create and discover AR holograms
  • Map-based world with controllable territories
  • Earn ad revenue from controlled locations
  • Make new connections through AR content
Features
Read full description

The real world is your feed. Poke turns places into a social feed. Record a short video of yourself, let AI remove the background, and drop yourself as a flat hologram on a beach, a café or a street corner. People nearby find you through their camera. RECORD IN 10 SECONDS Hold to record with the back camera, or use the front camera with a 3-2-1 countdown. Add a sound, or post a clip from your camera roll. The background is removed for you after you post. SEE WHO'S BEEN HERE Open the XR Feed to see holograms of real people standing in the world around you. Swipe through who's nearby and leave your own wherever you go. ONE POKE, TWO SIGNALS Poking a hologram likes it and sends a friend request at the same time. Tap Accept to connect, and keep up with pokes and friends in the Poke Center. TALK IT OUT Message friends, share holograms in chat, and leave comments on the holograms you find. CLAIM YOUR BLOCK The map is split into real-world blocks. The most active creators take control of territory in their area. POKE POINTS See your points balance in the XR Feed and send points to friends. BUILT FOR 13+ Poke is for ages 13 and up. You choose where your holograms go, and XR Feed filters let you show friends only, or filter by gender and age. On your phone today, built for the XR glasses of tomorrow. Drop your first hologram.

About

Cosmo

Connect with others using expressive avatars powered by real-time facial tracking. Customize your virtual self, join chatrooms, and create shareable avatar videos. This app offers a safe and welcoming space for virtual interaction and content creation.

Highlights
  • Expressive avatar animation via AR face tracking
  • Avatar customization with outfits
  • Real-time video chat
  • Direct messaging and group chats
  • Create and share avatar videos
  • AI content moderation for safety
Features
Read full description

Make new friends. Be yourself—through your avatar. Cosmo is a social video chat app where your real-time expressions bring your avatar to life using augmented reality face tracking. Whether you're feeling playful, curious, or just want to try something new, you can talk, vibe, and connect with others in a safe, expressive space. Express Yourself with Style Customize your avatar with different outfits and looks. Use your facial expressions to animate your virtual self in real time with subtle effects and filters. Talk, Connect, and Build Relationships Join chatrooms, talk with new people, and add friends to keep the conversation going. Send direct messages, start group chats, and stay connected. Create & Share Avatar Videos 
Bring your avatar to life beyond the chat. Record videos of your virtual self using real-time face tracking and expressive animation, then save or share them anywhere - TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or your favorite platforms. Whether you want to roleplay, create content, make reaction videos, or just show off your avatar’s personality, Cosmo gives you the tools to create effortlessly. Perfect for creators, VTubers, cosplayers, and anyone exploring virtual identity. Your avatar, your style, now everywhere. More Than Just Chat Cosmo is your space to hang out, roleplay, share interests, and explore new vibes. Soon, you’ll be able to start and join communities built around the things you love. A Safe Space for Everyone Cosmo uses real-time AI content moderation for messages and video chat to help keep conversations respectful and friendly. Our mission is to create a fun, welcoming environment where everyone can express themselves comfortably. Whether you're here to meet people, explore virtual identities, or just express yourself in a new way—Cosmo gives you the tools to do it, your way. This app uses Apple's standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Poke4 screens
Cosmo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Poke at none against Cosmo's 6. Poke also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Cosmo's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cosmo sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Poke asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Poke against 5.0 for Cosmo. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Poke ships an update every 3 weeks, Cosmo every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Poke versus Cosmo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPokeCosmo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings44
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size279 MB49 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperPoke XR LLCAlan Scarpa

Customer experience

Poke

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Cosmo

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Poke

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Cosmo

Subscriptions3
  • Cosmo Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Cosmo Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Cosmo Yearly$59.991 Year
One-time3
  • Cosmo Coins - 10 Pack$1.99
  • Cosmo Coins - 50 Pack$5.99
  • Cosmo Coins - 100 Pack$9.99

Questions

Is Poke free?
Poke is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cosmo free?
Cosmo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Poke or Cosmo?
Poke and Cosmo are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Poke or Cosmo have ads?
Cosmo shows ads; Poke does not.
Which is updated more often, Poke or Cosmo?
Poke ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cosmo every 2 days. Most recently, Poke was updated on October 21, 2026 and Cosmo on October 28, 2026.

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