# Reel vs Popcorn

The clearest difference is ads: Popcorn at none against Reel's shown. Popcorn also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Reel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (88 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Popcorn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reel has 88 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Reel's written reviews are positive against 100% of Popcorn's.

Reel ships an update every 4 days, Popcorn every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reel | Popcorn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reel/id6760734673/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popcorn/id6773081038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **88** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 17 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reel App LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896344192) | [Josh Altmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773081040) |

## What reviewers say

### Reel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reel/id6760734673)

This app helps you track and rank movies and TV shows based on your personal taste. Compare your rankings with friends and discover new content through shared leaderboards. Build personalized lists and share your favorites.

**Highlights:** Rank movies and TV shows, Create watchlists, Follow friends' activity, Compare taste with others, Browse leaderboards, Jot quick reviews, Share top films

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Popcorn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popcorn/id6773081038)

This app helps you rank every movie you've watched by comparing them head-to-head. It automatically sorts your preferences into a personalized list and allows you to discover new films. You can also compare your rankings with friends and explore their favorite movies.

**Highlights:** Head-to-head movie comparisons, Automatic personalized ranking, Discover new and upcoming films, Save movies to Watchlist, Compare rankings with friends, Track taste statistics, Sync rankings across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reel free?

Reel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Popcorn free?

Popcorn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Reel or Popcorn?

Popcorn is rated higher. Reel averages 4.6 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while Popcorn averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Reel or Popcorn have ads?

Reel shows ads; Popcorn does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reel or Popcorn?

Reel ships an update every 4 days, and Popcorn every 3 weeks. Most recently, Reel was updated on October 17, 2026 and Popcorn on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*