Comparison

Volunteer Connection vs IPPS

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

Head to head
About

Volunteer Connection

Manage your volunteer activities with the American Red Cross. This app allows registered volunteers to easily register for shifts, update contact details, and submit hours. It's designed to enhance engagement and streamline the volunteer experience.

Highlights
  • Register for shifts
  • Update contact information
  • Submit volunteer hours
  • Manage volunteer activity
  • Enhance volunteer engagement
Read full description

American Red Cross volunteers, the Volunteer Connection app is now available! The mobile app is for existing volunteers only. Manage your activity with the American Red Cross conveniently via the new app! Hold the power of Volunteer Connection in the palm of your hand! Volunteers can use the app to register for shifts, update contact information, submit hours, and other tasks typically managed in Volunteer Connection, the organization's volunteer management system. Now, all of which can be done with the tip and swipe of a finger! Over 200,000 American Red Cross volunteers help ensure the organization prevents and alleviates human suffering every day. Many respond to disasters, teach life-saving skills to their communities, or support ongoing activities with their skills and talents. The mobile app will allow existing American Red Cross volunteers to become more engaged with the organization, helping enhance the overall volunteer experience with the organization. Note: This app is for General Volunteers only at this time. Youth and Prospective Volunteers will not have access to the app, until further notice or until their intake process with their respective region is complete. If you are not a registered volunteer and interested in becoming involved with the American Red Cross, please visit www.redcross.org today! If you are having problems, please use the link above for assistance.

About

IPPS

This application offers soldiers a streamlined portal to access the DMDC My Access Center. It simplifies the process by providing a direct push button for DS Logon sign-on.

Highlights
  • Access DMDC My Access Center
  • DS Logon integration
  • User-friendly interface
  • Direct sign-on button
Features
Read full description

The Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army (IPPS-A) Launch Platform will provide soldiers with a user-friendly way to access the DMDC My Access Center through DS Logon. The core feature will be a push button that will direct the user to the DS Logon sign-on

Screenshots

Volunteer Connection4 screens
IPPS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Volunteer Connection at 4.7 against IPPS's 1.5. Volunteer Connection also leads on review sentiment (47% vs 7%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Volunteer Connection holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Volunteer Connection has 3.3K ratings behind it against 257, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Volunteer Connection's written reviews are positive against 7% of IPPS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Volunteer Connection ships an update every 2 months, IPPS every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Volunteer Connection versus IPPS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVolunteer ConnectionIPPS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.3K ratings) — better1.5 (257 ratings)
Positive reviews47.3% of reviews — better6.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3.3K — better257
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB211 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDigital Cheetah Solutions, Inc.TRADOC Mobile

Customer experience

Volunteer Connection

All ratings3,266 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.3%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral5.5%
Negative47.3%

IPPS

All ratings257 ratings
Positive12.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative86.0%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive6.8%
Neutral4.1%
Negative89.2%

User reviews

Volunteer Connection

From 3.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient to use
  • 💡 Great volunteer-centric app
  • 🚀 Quick and easy to log hours
  • 🚀 Seamless process, no lags

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Login/sign-in issues
  • 🐛 Inconsistent/limited functionality
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes/loading problems

IPPS

From 257 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📱 Mobile leave submission capability
  • ✅ Recent updates improving functionality
  • 👁️ Ability to view STP and promotion points
  • 🔐 Security features implemented
  • ⚡ Convenient phone-based access to records

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🌐 Functions as webpage wrapper, not true app
  • 🔐 Complex authentication and certificate installation
  • 📵 Poor mobile optimization and display
  • ⏱️ Slow performance and timeouts

Bugs and requests

Volunteer Connection

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cannot log hours due to calendar issues
  • App support center no longer exists
  • Cannot find needed training in the app
  • App does not recognize saved login credentials

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add total hours worked in hours manager
  • Improve search functionality and consistency
  • Allow updating availability directly in the app
  • Add ability to favorite/comment on recent activity posts

IPPS

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Certificate download returns 404 error
  • Two-factor authentication fails repeatedly
  • DS Logon authentication broken
  • App logs out immediately after login
  • Safari security warnings block access
Show 10 more
  • Login page refuses to load
  • IPPS-A website crashes after login
  • Trust certificate issues persist despite fixes
  • App doesn't load on iOS 18.3
  • Homepage fails to load
  • Authenticator code never arrives
  • Server connection timeouts
  • Impersonation warnings on login
  • Dropdown menus and LOVs not visible on mobile
  • STP features disappeared after updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • True native app instead of webpage wrapper
  • HR.IPPSA access for PAR processing
  • Soldier Talent Profile (STP) full access
  • PPW (Pay Per Work) visibility for soldiers
  • Printable leave forms with form numbers and signature lines
Show 5 more
  • Improved cross-platform compatibility (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux)
  • Simplified login process without multiple verification prompts
  • Built-in PKI support without third-party apps
  • Mobile-optimized interface for all features
  • Support for token readers on iOS

In-app purchases

None

Volunteer Connection

No in-app purchases

None

IPPS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Volunteer Connection free?
Volunteer Connection is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is IPPS free?
IPPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Volunteer Connection or IPPS?
Volunteer Connection is rated higher. Volunteer Connection averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while IPPS averages 1.5 from 257 ratings.
Do Volunteer Connection or IPPS have ads?
Neither Volunteer Connection nor IPPS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Volunteer Connection or IPPS?
Volunteer Connection ships an update every 2 months, and IPPS every 7 months. Most recently, Volunteer Connection was updated on September 21, 2026 and IPPS on September 3, 2026.

Other comparisons