Toad's Tavern vs DarkHeart
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Toad's Tavern
Discover a highly-rated neighborhood tavern recognized for its exceptional atmosphere and service. This establishment has received numerous accolades, including awards for best bar/lounge and dive bar.
- Award-winning establishment
- Recognized for best bar/lounge
- Awarded best dive bar
- Multiple local accolades
- Strong community reputation
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Neighborhood Tavern on the Eastside of Des Moines one block north of the Fair Grounds. Ranked 2nd in Des Moines Metromix top 50 bars in central Iowa 2012. One of Culture Trip's Top Ten Bars in DSM. Winner of 2019 Metro Best Bar/Lounge, Winner of 2013-2020 and 2022-2023 Cityview's Best Eastside bar and 2014 Best Dive Bar. Runner up for Best Bar 2023 People Choice. Runner up 2015 & 2018 Cityview's Best Overall Bar. Cityview's Bartender Ball's Best Staff, Best Eastside Bartender.
DarkHeart
Connect with like-minded individuals who appreciate alternative aesthetics and deeper connections. This app offers a unique approach to dating beyond superficial swiping, focusing on meaningful interactions and authentic self-expression within a moderated community.
- Connect with goth, alt, and emo individuals
- Unique 'Black Rose' invitation system
- Private chatrooms upon mutual interest
- Showcase music, style, and mood
- Manual profile review and human moderation
- Local and global connection search
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DarkHeart is for goth, alt, emo, and dark-romantic souls seeking connection with intention—beyond the swipe, beyond small talk, and far beneath the surface. On most dating apps, attention is cheap: a passing swipe, a half-hearted opener, a conversation neither person really chose. On DarkHeart, connection begins differently. It begins with the invitation of a Black Rose. THE RITUAL OF THE ROSE Send a Black Rose when someone catches your attention—not just their face, but their music, their words, and their atmosphere. It is a deliberate signal of interest. If they accept, your private chatroom opens. If they decline, the moment ends there. Desire can knock, but only consent opens the door. A SANCTUARY BEYOND SWIPING We do not deal in generic lists of interests. We deal in rituals. • Find Your Dark Romance: Connect with alternative souls globally, or search locally for those who share your specific aesthetic and emotional depth. • Show Your Shadows: Express your authentic identity. Showcase the music, style, and mood that make you who you are. • Premium Access: Upgrade to see who is viewing you, unlock unlimited interactions, and immerse yourself completely in the sanctuary. CLEAR BOUNDARIES DarkHeart is a darker space with clearer boundaries. Every new profile is manually reviewed. Strict human-moderation keeps scammers, spam, and bad-faith actors out of the community. Because darkness should feel like an invitation, not danger. FOR THE ONES BETWEEN BOXES Around the world, a growing sanctuary of dark hearts is gathering. Whether you are goth, alt, emo, queer, or simply tired of translating yourself for mainstream spaces, you should not have to make yourself smaller to be seen. Not everyone deserves your heart. But someone here might. Download DarkHeart. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
Toad's Tavern and DarkHeart both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Toad's Tavern's written reviews are positive against 13% of DarkHeart's. Toad's Tavern also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and device support (3 vs 1). DarkHeart's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 14 months). On price and rating 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. DarkHeart sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 7 days. Toad's Tavern asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Toad's Tavern against 4.4 for DarkHeart. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DarkHeart has 1.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Toad's Tavern's written reviews are positive against 13% of DarkHeart's.
Toad's Tavern ships an update every 14 months, DarkHeart every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Toad's Tavern | DarkHeart |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | 4.4 (1.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 13.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 1.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Toads Tavern LLC | DARKHEART LLC |
Customer experience
Toad's Tavern
DarkHeart
Bugs and requests
Toad's Tavern
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
DarkHeart
Reported bugs
2 issues- Account creation/deletion issues
- Functionality problems
Requested features
3 requests- Location-based matching
- Improved profile customization
- Better communication options
In-app purchases
Toad's Tavern
No in-app purchases
DarkHeart
- Week$19.997 Days
- DarkHeart 3 Months$34.993 Months
- Month$39.991 Month
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- Year$79.991 Year
- Profile Boost | 24-Hours$2.99
- Lifetime$99.99
