Comparison

Pulp Showtimes vs Sidebop

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

Head to head
About

Pulp Showtimes

Discover local screenings of classic and revival films often missed by mainstream apps. Never miss an opportunity to see your favorite movies on the big screen again. Perfect for dedicated film enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Local revival house showtimes
  • Classic film listings
  • Big screen event notifications
  • Film enthusiast focused
  • Cross-device support
Features
Read full description

Not all showtime apps are created equal. If you're a film lover, you're probably frustrated by the absence of local revival houses on mainstream showtime apps. With Pulp, you can see all the classic films playing in your area, so you never miss a chance to catch it on the big screen. By installing this app, you agree to the terms of the following license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sidebop

Discover Los Angeles events on a map, tailored to your travel time and starting point. Find shows, movies, and happy hours, and get directions and details before you go. Save events and track updates.

Highlights
  • Event discovery on a map
  • Customizable travel time and mode
  • Event search by date, category, or keyword
  • Venue details and directions
  • Event bookmarking and updates
  • Ticket link integration
Features
Read full description

LA has a lot going on. Find something you can actually get to. A show nearby. A movie across town. A happy hour after work. sidebop puts Los Angeles events on a map, so you can spend less time figuring out where to go and more time being there. START WHERE YOU ARE. OR WHERE YOU'LL BE. Choose a starting point, a travel mode and how much time you want to spend getting there. Your ring shows what's in range. Starting somewhere else? Search for a place or move your pin. LOOK AHEAD Open Find to choose when, pick a category, or type an event, venue or what you're looking for. Browse upcoming days across Los Angeles, then use From where? to compare travel from a starting point. Return to Now to see what's within reach. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO See a map of the venue, its address, event time and available price and entry details. Open the source listing for more information or get directions when you're ready to head out. KEEP YOUR MAYBES Bookmark an event and find it again in Saved. See listed updates to your saved events and new listings from venues you follow. When an event has a ticket link, Check tickets opens its ticket page so you can see what's available. Browse without creating an account. Use your location if you want, or choose an address instead. Built for Los Angeles. For the little gap in your afternoon, the spontaneous detour and the night you haven't figured out yet.

Screenshots

Pulp Showtimes3 screens
Sidebop4 screens

Verdict

The call

Pulp Showtimes and Sidebop both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Pulp Showtimes's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sidebop's. Pulp Showtimes also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Sidebop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating and ads 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. Pulp Showtimes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sidebop 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 Pulp Showtimes against 5.0 for Sidebop. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pulp Showtimes has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Pulp Showtimes's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sidebop's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pulp Showtimes ships an update fortnightly, Sidebop every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Pulp Showtimes versus Sidebop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulp ShowtimesSidebop
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (16 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB56 MB
Age rating9+17+
Developerunsame llcKevin Showkat

Customer experience

Pulp Showtimes

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sidebop

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Pulp Showtimes

Subscriptions2
  • Moviegoer7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Cinephile +7 Days trial$9.991 Year
None

Sidebop

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pulp Showtimes free?
Pulp Showtimes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sidebop free?
Sidebop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pulp Showtimes or Sidebop?
Pulp Showtimes and Sidebop are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 16 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Pulp Showtimes or Sidebop have ads?
Neither Pulp Showtimes nor Sidebop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pulp Showtimes or Sidebop?
Pulp Showtimes ships an update fortnightly, and Sidebop every 2 days. Most recently, Pulp Showtimes was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sidebop on October 31, 2026.

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