Comparison

Downtowner vs Dérive app

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

Head to head
About

Downtowner

Request eco-friendly rides on-demand to get around town. See wait times, track your driver's arrival, and travel within designated service areas for work or leisure.

Highlights
  • On-demand ride requests
  • View wait times
  • Track driver progress
  • Service area travel
  • Eco-friendly transportation
Read full description

Downtowner is an eco-friendly on-demand ride service changing the way you get around town. It's easy! - Tell us where you're headed to view the wait time. Then, just tap to request! - Track your driver's progress. We'll let you know when they get close! - Ride anywhere within our service area. Work or play, we've got you covered! Service Areas: - Savannah, GA - Aspen, CO - Carbondale, CO Download the app and ride with us!

About

Dérive app

Explore urban spaces in a spontaneous and engaging way. This app merges Situationist ideals with digital tools to encourage unplanned discovery and break daily routines. It aims to open up new urban experiences by introducing external suggestions into your city explorations.

Highlights
  • Spontaneous urban exploration
  • Unplanned discovery
  • Digital tool for city exploration
  • Breaks daily routines
  • Introduces external suggestions
Read full description

Dérive app is created as a simple but engaging platform that allows users to explore their urban spaces in a care-free and casual way. It takes the ideals of the Situationists and merges it with digital means in order to create a tool that allows for the exploration of urban space in a random unplanned way, as a game. Too often in urban centers we are controlled by our day to day activities thus closing off urban experiences that exist around us. Dérive app was created to try to nudge those people who are in this repetitive cycle to allow the suggestions and subjectivities of others to enter into their urban existences.

Screenshots

Downtowner3 screens
Dérive app4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Downtowner at 4.8 against Dérive app's 3.8. Downtowner also leads on ratings volume (406 vs 5). Dérive app's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Downtowner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Downtowner has 406 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Downtowner's written reviews are positive against 94% of Dérive app's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Downtowner ships an update every 4 months, Dérive app every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Downtowner versus Dérive app: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDowntownerDérive app
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (406 ratings) — better3.8 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews89.7% of reviews94.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings406 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.111.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDowntowner App, Inc.Babak Fakhamzadeh

Customer experience

Downtowner

All ratings406 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.2%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive89.7%
Neutral1.5%
Negative8.8%

Dérive app

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%

Bugs and requests

Downtowner

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Wait time estimates jump dramatically and change frequently
  • Unable to verify ride request status after placement
  • Account termination feature not functioning properly
  • App login issues with password verification
  • Drivers passing by and not stopping for waiting passengers

Requested features

7 requests
  • Extended service hours, including morning availability
  • Expand service to additional locations (e.g., Aspen Meadows)
  • Save multiple addresses in app
  • Credit card tipping option
  • Direct phone number for customer support
Show 2 more
  • Better account management and deletion options
  • Improved driver accountability system

Dérive app

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Downtowner

No in-app purchases

None

Dérive app

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Downtowner free?
Downtowner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dérive app free?
Dérive app is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Downtowner or Dérive app?
Downtowner is rated higher. Downtowner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 406 ratings, while Dérive app averages 3.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Downtowner or Dérive app have ads?
Neither Downtowner nor Dérive app shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Downtowner or Dérive app?
Downtowner ships an update every 4 months, and Dérive app every 6 weeks. Most recently, Downtowner was updated on September 7, 2026 and Dérive app on September 8, 2026.

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