GrandPad vs Ridwell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GrandPad
This app connects you with your family through photos, video calls, and messages. It allows you to share memories, see updates from your trusted circle, and stay in touch with loved ones. Play games and check the weather in your family's locations.
- Video calling
- Photo and video sharing
- Commenting on posts
- Calling and texting
- Turn-based and real-time games
- Weather updates
- Contact management
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Only download this app if you or a member of your family are a current member of the GrandPad service. GrandPad allows you to communicate with your family in a simple, safe and fun way! With this app, you can send photos, video call, and share with everyone in your family. A companion application to the GrandPad tablet. Keep grandma and grandpa in the social media and communication loop by means of video calling, emailing, and sharing photos/videos. Also, see instant updates from those in your family circle. Feature Highlights: - See photos & videos posted by contacts in your trusted friends & family circle. - Share memories by posting photos & videos for those in your GrandPad contacts to see. - Contribute to the conversation by commenting back and forth with friends and family on shared posts. Even listen to voice comments left by your loved ones. - Call, text, email, and make video calls with those in your always up-to-date GrandPad contact list. - Add up to 4 total participants to a video call, so that more members of your family and loved ones can join. - Invite new contacts to the family circle using their phone number and/or email address from your device’s contact book. - Play games at your own pace with turn-based gameplay, or challenge your opponents in real-time matches, even while in a video call! You decide how you want to play. Receive alerts when it's your turn to play, so you never miss a move. - See what the weather’s like where your friends and family live. - Keep your profile and contact information up-to-date & stay connected with your closed friends & family circle. Add multiple phone numbers & email addresses to your profile to ensure your loved one knows it’s you when you are trying to contact them. - Get in touch with our member experience team for any questions you have about GrandPad. - Get notified for new posts, comments, video calls, and updates from GrandPad.
Ridwell
Easily dispose of hard-to-recycle items with convenient doorstep pickups. Schedule collections, track your impact, and feel good knowing your items are being reused or recycled by trusted partners.
- Schedule doorstep pickups
- Collect hard-to-recycle items
- Receive real-time notifications
- Track community impact
- Transparent item destinations
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Get rid of your stuff the right way with Ridwell. Seamlessly schedule your upcoming pickups, receive real-time notifications, and see the impact you’re making with the Ridwell community! Collect hard-to-recycle items in your Ridwell bags. We give you bags to store your plastic film, threads, and other hard-to-recycle things that might otherwise go to waste. Easy pickups from your front door. We come to your front door to pick up your stuff every two weeks. Just let us know when you have stuff to pick up! Feel great about where your stuff goes. You’ll always know where your stuff is going to be reused or recycled with one of our partners. Together, Ridwell members save tons from the landfill every year to support our community, keep our oceans clean, and build a brighter future. If you're in need of any support, please contact us at app@ridwell.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: GrandPad at none against Ridwell's shown. GrandPad also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (90% vs 73%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for GrandPad against 4.9 for Ridwell. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18K and 8.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of GrandPad's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ridwell's.
GrandPad ships an update every 3 months, Ridwell every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GrandPad | Ridwell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (18K ratings) — better | 4.9 (8.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 89.8% of reviews — better | 73.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18K — better | 8.9K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | GrandPad Inc. | Ridwell, Inc. |
Customer experience
GrandPad
Ridwell
User reviews
GrandPad
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use for elderly users
- 🚀 Keeps elderly users connected to family
- 💡 Helpful features like video calls, photo sharing, and games
- 👍 Excellent customer service
- 🚀 Reliable and consistent performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Notification issues with unwanted alerts
- 🐛 Video calling feature not working consistently
Ridwell
From 8.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💚 Excellent for the environment
- 🙌 Convenient pickup service
- 🤗 Helpful customer service
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎉 Reduces waste
Room to improve
- 🚫 Missed pickups
- 🤔 Inconsistent service
- 💰 Overcharging for extras
- 🏢 Inaccessible for apartment buildings
- 🤷♀️ Unclear communication
Bugs and requests
GrandPad
Reported bugs
2 issues- Video calling feature stops working after a period of time
- Compatibility issues with certain devices/operating systems
Requested features
2 requests- Add group video call functionality
- Improve notification controls
Ridwell
Reported bugs
2 issues- Incorrect pickup status notifications
- Drivers unable to access buildings
Requested features
3 requests- Advance scheduling for pickups
- More recycling categories
- Proactive notifications for missed pickups
In-app purchases
GrandPad
No in-app purchases
Ridwell
No in-app purchases









