Pocketmate vs Bubudu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pocketmate
Stay connected with your partner through shared widgets and lock screen drawings. Play games together, track important dates, and see your distance, all without opening the app.
- Home screen and lock screen widgets
- Real-time drawing on lock screen
- 25+ cooperative games
- Shared countdowns and streaks
- Distance tracking (non-live)
- Customizable notifications
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Pocketmate puts the two of you on each other's home screen and lock screen. A drawing, a photo, the days until you meet again: your person sees it without opening an app. Made for couples, close by or long distance. Home screen widgets Pick a widget, put it on your home screen, done. - Photo: the latest photo one of you sent, shown in the Pocketmate widget. - Doodle: the newest drawing, from whichever of you drew last. - Counter: today's count for both of you, side by side. - Status: tell your person how you are, in your own words. The picture follows them. - Distance: how far apart you are. - Countdown: the days until you see each other. - Streak: how many days in a row you've kept it going. Lock screen Three widgets that tick by the second: how long you've been together, the time until your anniversary, and a countdown to your next meeting. Draw onto their lock screen Draw something and it lands on their lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. It stays there for 30 minutes. With the drawing screen open on both phones, you watch each other's strokes arrive. 6 colors, 7 pens, 16 stickers, shapes and an eraser. Lock screen drawings need iOS 16.2 or later. For a drawing to open on their lock screen on its own, their iPhone needs iOS 17.2 or later. Play together 25 games, three ways: live on two phones, on one phone, or against the computer. - Live on two phones: Tic Tac Toe, Connect Four, Daily Word, Mental Math, Syllable Bomb and Who Am I? - Who wins what: every game card shows who of you wins it more often, and the Us tab keeps the score. - Live jigsaw: the pieces move on both phones at once, and every placed piece is saved for both of you. 24, 48 or 96 pieces. - This or That: each of you answers on your own phone, and you see their pick once you've answered. 30 questions. Your numbers The Us tab counts days together, days until your anniversary, both birthdays, your shared streak, the distance between you and more. The map shows both your faces with the distance in km and the city. No live tracking: your position is only read while the app is open. Connecting Pocketmate is for one person: yours. Type their code, tap their invite link, scan their QR code or find them in your contacts, and you're connected right away. Notifications Get a note when your person draws, sends a photo, starts a countdown or a puzzle, or shares a new status, plus reminders for your anniversary, their birthday and your countdown. Three switches decide what you get. What you share Status, location and your streak only reach your person after you switch them on. Drawings, photos, the countdown, your together date, the jigsaw and This or That belong to both of you. Your counter and your birthday are always visible to your person. Your location is rounded to about 1 km before it leaves your phone. Photos you send are stored privately, and only the two of you can open them. Pocketmate Pro Plenty is free: the photo, doodle and counter widgets, drawing onto their lock screen, twelve games, This or That, and the jigsaw with your own photos and two built-in pictures. Pro adds: - the status, distance, countdown and streak widgets - all 25 games and six more jigsaw pictures - your whole history in the stats - streak repair twice a month - every glow color for your avatar Pro applies to your own account; for Pro games on two phones, one Pro is enough for both of you. It is billed through your App Store account and can be cancelled anytime in your account settings. Privacy Policy: https://getklar.org/pocketmate/privacy Terms of Use: https://getklar.org/pocketmate/terms Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Bubudu
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Bubudu is a shared space for you and your partner: little games, thoughtful notes and memories to revisit. Whether you're on the same sofa or far apart, make a little time for two. The app and its content are currently in English. START A CONVERSATION Answer a question or try a game of This or That. Make five quick choices, then compare after you both play. Explore small ways to learn more about each other. SEND SOMETHING PERSONAL Draw a doodle for your partner's widget, send a nudge or write a love note. Some notes can be sealed for a later moment. Widgets need to be added on a supported iPhone. Lock Screen widgets require iOS 16 or later, and updates depend on the app and iOS. CARE FOR YOUR SHARED PLANT Water your plant and help it grow with qualifying activities in Bubudu. Growth rewards have daily limits; not every action adds growth. KEEP YOUR MOMENTS Save photos and revisit shared memories. Our Moment brings one photo from each of you into a side-by-side keepsake once both have contributed. Ordinary album photos are shared directly rather than sealed until both contribute. START WITH AN INVITE One person creates a space and shares an invite code. The other joins. Bubudu is designed for two, with no public feed or followers. Start your shared space and invite your partner.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bubudu at none against Pocketmate's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Pocketmate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Bubudu asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pocketmate ships an update every 10 days, Bubudu every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pocketmate | Bubudu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Alain Kessler | Laxman Sharma |
In-app purchases
Pocketmate
- Pocketmate Pro, monthly$4.991 Month
- Premium Yearly, 50% off$15.001 Year
- Pocketmate Pro, yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
Bubudu
No in-app purchases









