Comparison

FanWork vs the bubble by DEAR U Intl.

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

Head to head
About

FanWork

Connect with fellow K-pop enthusiasts, organize your fan activities, and discover collaborative projects. Showcase your favorite artists, share your creative work, and join or create fan-driven events and challenges.

Highlights
  • Organize favorite artists and links
  • Create themed collections of posts and work
  • Customize fan profile with interests
  • Discover fanbases by artist and location
  • Join or create fan activities (Collabs)
  • Manage fan projects and participants
Read full description

FanWork is a K-pop fan community where you can bring together your interests and fan activities, express yourself, and connect with other fans. Make Shelf your own, introduce yourself through your Me profile, and explore fanbases and Collabs. Join activities that interest you or start a fan project of your own. Make Shelf your own Bring together favorite artists, links, posts and creative work. Use Bands to arrange artists and links from YouTube, Spotify and more with your choice of photos, colors and order. Organize posts you write, work you upload and Collabs you join into themed Collections. Follow collections that interest you. Show your K-pop side Introduce yourself with a cover, profile and the artists and interests you love. Use Taste to show what kind of fan you are, and let your collections share your creative work and fan experiences. Find your fanbase Explore fanbases by artist and location. Connect with fans who share your interests and discover the activities they create. Find a Collab to join Collabs are fan activities you can create, manage and record on FanWork, including events, missions and challenges. Explore fan art projects, meetups and dance classes, and choose what interests you. Got an idea? Start a Collab Start with a ready-made template to share your plan, invite fans and manage participants. Share your Collab link on Instagram, X and other social platforms, and keep the experiences and results you create together. Whether you are collecting your favorites, finding fellow fans or creating something together, make room for your K-pop life on FanWork. Before you join Collab availability and participation conditions vary. Some Collabs require a participation fee. Review the schedule, organizer information, payment and cancellation terms before joining or paying. Contact: fanworker@fanwork.co.kr

About

the bubble by DEAR U Intl.

Connect with your favorite idols through personalized messages and exclusive content. Engage in one-on-one chats, receive daily updates, and celebrate special anniversaries. The app supports multiple languages for seamless communication.

Highlights
  • Personalized idol messages
  • Exclusive idol content
  • Direct messaging with idols
  • Anniversary tracking
  • Multi-language chat support
  • Photo and video sharing
Features
Read full description

Make your day more special with a message like a gift from your favorite idol! Start bubble right now and don't miss out on special private messages between you and your favorite idol! [Service Overview] 01. Favorite Idol's Everyday Story Receive a special everyday message from the artist who calls your name. 02. Favorite Idol's Dedicated Content See dedicated content sent directly from artists. 03. Your favorite idol is waiting for your reply Reply to the artist with a message filled with encouragement and love. 04. Anniversary with Your Favorite Idol Today is Day 1! See the special anniversary date between you and your artist. 05. Chatting in my language Read the artist's message and send a reply in your language. [Optional Access Authority] * You may still use the app even if you do not allow optional access authority. 01. Photo Gallery Used to send and store photos and videos and to set profile pictures and chatroom background images 02. Camera Used to film and send photos and videos and to set profile pictures and chatroom background images 03. Mic Used to record and send voice messages and videos 04. Notification Receive PUSH notifications [Subscription Products] 01. the bubble benefits - You can select artists to receive bubble messages from according to the number of artist subscription coupons you have purchased. - Receive bubbles sent directly from the artist of your choice. 02. Subscription Prices and Period - Subscribe through iTunes, and the payment amount will be billed to your iTunes account. - Prices may vary depending on the number of artist subscriptions you purchase. Please refer to the bubble purchase website for details. - Subscriptions are monthly and automatically renewed. [bubble Official SNS] - X(Twitter): https://x.com/dearu_bubble - Instagram: https://instagram.com/dearu_bubble [Terms] - Terms of Use: https://api.dearu-intl.com/terms/?msgType=service&appGroup=THEBUBBLE - Privacy Policy: https://api.dearu-intl.com/terms/?msgType=privacyPolicy&appGroup=THEBUBBLE [Information] - Questions/Suggestions: help_thebubble@dearu-intl.com

Screenshots

FanWork4 screens
the bubble by DEAR U Intl.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: the bubble by DEAR U Intl. at 5.0 against FanWork's 4.3. the bubble by DEAR U Intl. also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). FanWork's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. FanWork sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and the bubble by DEAR U Intl. sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

the bubble by DEAR U Intl. holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FanWork ships an update weekly, the bubble by DEAR U Intl. every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
FanWork versus the bubble by DEAR U Intl.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFanWorkthe bubble by DEAR U Intl.
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFanworkDear U International Inc.

Customer experience

FanWork

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

the bubble by DEAR U Intl.

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

FanWork

One-time5
  • 10 LS$0.99
  • 50 LS$4.99
  • 100 LS$9.99
Show 2 more
  • 200 LS$19.99
  • 300 LS$29.99
10 purchases

the bubble by DEAR U Intl.

Subscriptions10
  • Felix Ticket$4.491 Month
  • YOON YE CHAN Ticket$4.491 Month
  • CHO SEONG IL Ticket$4.491 Month
Show 7 more
  • KIM DO GYUN Ticket$4.491 Month
  • SEO KYOUNGBAE Ticket$4.491 Month
  • WOOSUNG Ticket$4.491 Month
  • KYUNG MIN Ticket$4.491 Month
  • Lee Know Ticket$4.491 Month
  • Kevin Chung Ticket$4.991 Month
  • J Balvin Ticket$4.991 Month

Questions

Is FanWork free?
FanWork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is the bubble by DEAR U Intl. free?
the bubble by DEAR U Intl. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FanWork or the bubble by DEAR U Intl.?
the bubble by DEAR U Intl. is rated higher. FanWork averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while the bubble by DEAR U Intl. averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do FanWork or the bubble by DEAR U Intl. have ads?
Neither FanWork nor the bubble by DEAR U Intl. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FanWork or the bubble by DEAR U Intl.?
FanWork ships an update weekly, and the bubble by DEAR U Intl. every 3 weeks. Most recently, FanWork was updated on November 8, 2026 and the bubble by DEAR U Intl. on November 8, 2026.

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