Comparison

Grid vs Sandbox

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

Head to head
About

Grid

This app connects you with potential dates based on shared favorite locations like restaurants and bars. Discover people who enjoy the same places, plan your dates at spots you both love, and spend less time swiping and more time meeting up.

Highlights
  • Match by location
  • Choose date venues
  • Discover compatible users
  • Plan date requests
  • In-app chat
  • Safety guidelines
Features
Read full description

MATCH BY PLACE We think where a person likes to hang out says a lot about them. And we think people need to spend less time on dating apps — and more time going out on dates at places they love or want to try. That’s why Grid matches people based on which restaurant, bar, coffee shop, etc. they’d like to go to. So once you find a match, you know you’re going out somewhere cool — with someone who’s not a couch potato. HOW IT WORKS 1: Choose a place. Whether it’s drinks, food, coffee, or somewhere else, it’s up to you where you want your first date to be. Using a map, list or search function, select place(s) where you’d want to meet someone. 2: Find a date. See people who only want to go to the same places as you. Then swipe right on who you’re into (you know the drill). 3: Then go. Just plan with your match when the date is happening by sending a date request. And of course you’ll have the option to chat on the app, but we suggest you save the small talk for IRL. FREE TO USE When it comes to building new relationships, you shouldn’t have to pay. So we don’t charge users to use the full functionality of the app—it’s all there for you to enjoy. SAFETY We’re dedicated to building a community that feels safe for everyone. Before downloading Grid, please review our policies and guidelines. Privacy Policy: https://www.dateongrid.com/privacy Community Guidelines: https://www.dateongrid.com/community Support: support@dateongrid.com

About

Sandbox

A private space to share your personal projects, interests, and daily efforts with a small, trusted group. Focus on genuine connection and mutual support without the pressure of likes or followers.

Highlights
  • Private sharing space
  • Focus on personal projects
  • No likes or followers
  • Video check-ins
  • Progress tracking
  • Small, intentional teams
Read full description

Sandbox is a small, private space for the parts of your life you don't post: the things you're actually working on, the interests you've always wanted to chase, the attempts that haven't worked out yet. Share them with the people in your corner and get something no feed can give you: being genuinely seen. No likes. No followers. No performing. Just your people, cheering on the real you, and you showing up for them. LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR DAY Plan your days around what actually matters to you: the guitar you keep meaning to practice, the job you actually want, the call your mom would love. Pick a few small steps each morning and check in with how you're feeling. BE SEEN, NOT SCROLLED PAST Share your day with your team. In Sandbox, "I sent one scary email" gets the celebration it deserves. Your people notice your effort, not just your highlights. TRY THE THING The projects you've put off. The interests you were embarrassed to admit. Start one in Sandbox, break it into small steps, and let your people watch you go. SHOW UP FOR YOUR PEOPLE See how your friends' days are going, send a little encouragement when they need it, and hop on quick video check-ins together. Being there for their journey feels as good as them being there for yours. PROGRESS COUNTS, EVEN THE MESSY KIND Every interest keeps its own story: weekly recaps, your progress over time, and every attempt along the way. Small steps go further than you think. PLAN YOUR WEEK TOGETHER Once a week, hop on a video check-in with your team. Start with a fun question, look back at how the week actually went, and shape the next one side by side. Rest up, pause an interest, go bigger, or finally start the thing you've been thinking about. No judgment, just next steps. THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CORNER Sandbox teams are intentionally small, because the bigger the audience, the more you perform. Invite the people who are in it with you, and be that person for them. This isn't about accountability. It's about waking up with something to look forward to, having hope for your week, and feeling connected to the people who matter. Accountability is just what happens along the way. Explore the things that matter to you. With the people that care about you most. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://getsandbox.app/privacy

Screenshots

Grid4 screens
Sandbox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sandbox at 5.0 against Grid's 4.4. Sandbox also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). Grid's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (68 vs 4). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Grid sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per 7 days. Sandbox asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sandbox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Grid has 68 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Grid's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sandbox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grid ships an update every 6 days, Sandbox monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Grid versus Sandbox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridSandbox
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (68 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings68 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB108 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJKR SoftwareSandboxed, Inc.

Customer experience

Grid

All ratings69 ratings
Positive82.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative14.5%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive83.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative12.8%

Sandbox

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Grid

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App gives error messages on opening
  • App insists user is in New York and cannot change location
  • Profile keeps getting deleted, requiring re-signup daily
  • Cannot see all matches for each place

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand to more neighborhoods/cities beyond NYC
  • Fix location settings for users outside NYC
  • Allow users to see all matches for a place
  • Improve user profile deletion/creation process

Sandbox

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Grid

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$5.007 Days
  • 1 Month$9.991 Month
  • 3 Months$18.953 Months
None

Sandbox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Grid free?
Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sandbox free?
Sandbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Grid or Sandbox?
Sandbox is rated higher. Grid averages 4.4 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Sandbox averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Grid or Sandbox have ads?
Grid shows ads; Sandbox does not.
Which is updated more often, Grid or Sandbox?
Grid ships an update every 6 days, and Sandbox monthly. Most recently, Grid was updated on November 4, 2026 and Sandbox on November 5, 2026.

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