Comparison

Food HQ vs Formal Exchange

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

Head to head
About

Food HQ

Order and pay for food and drinks online to skip lines. Browse daily menus, offers, and promotions. Take control of your dining experience with pre-ordering and access to exclusive vouchers.

Highlights
  • Order and pay online
  • Skip the line
  • Browse daily menus and offers
  • Pre-order for collection
  • Access vouchers and promotions
  • Provide feedback
Features
Read full description

Food HQ app is a fast & convenient way to skip the line by ordering & paying for your food & drink online. Check out the daily menus & offers, pre-order to collect when you need it, provide feedback & have access to vouchers & promotions. Food HQ puts you in control of your dining experience.

About

Formal Exchange

Features
Read full description

Every term, Formal places go empty. Someone spends weeks securing a seat, then a deadline moves or a train is cancelled — and because most colleges have no refund and no official resale, that place simply vanishes. Somewhere else, a friend of a friend would have taken it in a heartbeat. Formal Exchange puts those two people in touch. FORMAL TICKETS — OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE AND DURHAM • Pass on a Formal you can no longer attend, or find one you missed • Ticket Swap: trade a place at one college for a place at another, no cash needed • Every Formal listing shows the college, date, dress code, ID and entry rules, dietary options and transfer limits before you get in touch • Prices are capped at 120% of the college face value • Only verified Oxford, Cambridge and Durham university emails can publish Formal tickets AIRPORT RIDE-SHARES — EVERY UK UNIVERSITY • Landing at Heathrow with three suitcases? Find someone on the same day heading the same way • Post a pickup, destination, date and time — dates from a calendar, times from a list • Works both ways: from the airport to campus, or campus to the airport • Open to any UK university and any email, at the start of term, Christmas, Easter and summer TRAIN AND COACH TICKETS • Resell a train or coach ticket you can't use • Departure, arrival and journey time are shown automatically • Railcard requirements are clearly marked, so buyers know before they travel COLLEGE RATINGS AND RANKINGS • Rate Formals on food, hall, atmosphere, hospitality and value • Compare colleges within one university or across Oxford, Cambridge and Durham • Keep a record of every college you have visited SAFE BY DESIGN • In-app messages keep your phone number and email private until you choose to share them • Push notifications when someone messages you • Report or block anyone, at any time • Formal Exchange never handles payment — you agree terms directly with the other person • Edit or withdraw your listings whenever plans change Formal Exchange is an independent student project and is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Durham University or any college. College rules always come first.

Screenshots

Food HQ4 screens
Formal Exchange4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Formal Exchange at fortnightly against Food HQ's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Food HQ ships an update every 5 weeks, Formal Exchange fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 7 level
Food HQ versus Formal Exchange: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFood HQFormal Exchange
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB53 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperWestbury Street LimitedJIACHENG ZHENG

In-app purchases

None

Food HQ

No in-app purchases

None

Formal Exchange

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Food HQ free?
Food HQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Formal Exchange free?
Formal Exchange is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Food HQ or Formal Exchange have ads?
Neither Food HQ nor Formal Exchange shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Food HQ or Formal Exchange?
Food HQ ships an update every 5 weeks, and Formal Exchange fortnightly. Most recently, Food HQ was updated on September 23, 2026 and Formal Exchange on October 14, 2026.

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