Playground Buddy vs WhoseUp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Playground Buddy
Discover playgrounds globally with a vast database of over 700,000 locations. Get directions, view photos, and share playground details. Save favorites, log visits, and contribute new playgrounds and photos.
- Worldwide playground database
- Search by location
- Get directions
- View playground photos
- Share playground info
- Save favorite playgrounds
- Log playground visits
- Add new playgrounds
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Every parent knows the question: "Where can we go play?" Playground Buddy answers it in seconds. Discover over 700,000 playgrounds around the world, see what each one is really like before you go, and turn any afternoon into an adventure. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, nanny, or anyone lucky enough to look after a little one, Playground Buddy helps you find the perfect spot — from the swings around the corner to a hidden gem across the country. WHY FAMILIES LOVE PLAYGROUND BUDDY • Find playgrounds near you, across town, or anywhere you're traveling • See real photos and details before you make the trip • Get one-tap directions in Apple Maps or Google Maps • Filter for exactly what you need — swings, slides, water play, shade, washrooms, fenced areas, and wheelchair-accessible equipment • Save your favorites and build your family's go-to list • Log your visits, rate each playground, and keep private notes • See everywhere you've already been, right on the map BUILT BY FAMILIES, FOR FAMILIES Playground Buddy is powered by a community of caregivers just like you. Spot a playground that's missing? Add it in a few taps and help the next family find it. Took a great photo? Share it so others know what to expect. PHOTOS THAT PROTECT KIDS' PRIVACY Children's safety comes first. That's why Playground Buddy automatically blurs faces in the photos you upload — so you can show what a playground looks like without sharing who was there. PLAN THE PERFECT OUTING • Heading somewhere new? Search any city and scope out playgrounds before you arrive. • Long car trip? Find a great place to stretch little legs along the way. • Need a break from the sun? Filter for shaded and covered spots. Finding somewhere wonderful for your kids to play should be the easy part of your day. Download Playground Buddy and discover your next favorite playground today.
WhoseUp
Effortlessly track who's next to pay for group expenses like coffee, lunches, or dinners. Create custom circles for different groups, log payments, and let the app automatically manage fair turn rotations. View payment history and confirm transactions for accountability.
- Fair turn tracking
- Unlimited group circles
- Payment statistics and history
- Payment confirmation
- Customizable group banners
- Data export to CSV
- Dark mode support
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WHO PAID LAST? WhoseUp remembers so you don’t have to. Track who paid last and instantly see whose turn is next — perfect for couples, roommates, friends, coworkers, and recurring coffee or lunch groups. No debt calculations. No spreadsheets. No complicated expense ledger. Just a simple answer to one question: Who’s up next? KEY FEATURES • See Who’s Next Know instantly whose turn it is to pay. • Remember Who Paid Last Keep a clear history of previous turns. • One-Tap Logging Tap “I Paid” and WhoseUp automatically moves the turn forward. • Multiple Groups Create separate groups for Date Night, Coffee Runs, Groceries, Lunch, Roommates, and more. • Share the Next Turn Create a clean share card showing who paid last and who’s next, then send it through Messages, WhatsApp, social apps, and more. • Group Invites Invite friends to join your group quickly. • Turn History Review past payments and see how evenly your group has been taking turns. • iCloud Sync Keep your groups available across your Apple devices. • Home Screen Widget Check whose turn is next without opening the app. • Privacy First Your group data stays private and is stored locally or through your own iCloud account. PERFECT FOR • Couples taking turns on dates • Roommates sharing everyday purchases • Friends rotating dinner or drinks • Coworkers taking turns buying coffee • Anyone tired of hearing “I paid last time!” WhoseUp is not a debt calculator. It does not tell you who owes whom. It simply remembers the turn.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WhoseUp at 5.0 against Playground Buddy's 4.1. WhoseUp also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Playground Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (48 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. WhoseUp sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Playground Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.
WhoseUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Playground Buddy has 48 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Playground Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of WhoseUp's.
Playground Buddy ships an update every 3 months, WhoseUp fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Playground Buddy | WhoseUp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (48 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 48 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Birds Eye Technology | Jimmy Park |
Customer experience
Playground Buddy
WhoseUp
Bugs and requests
Playground Buddy
Reported bugs
10 issues- App crashes within seconds
- Submitting feedback results in a blank screen
- Contributions and photos disappear
- Text shows up black on black background (dark theme)
- Favorites list not linking to park data
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- App pastes from clipboard on opening
- Playgrounds saved with details/photos lose information
- App says 'no playgrounds found' initially
- Text keeps getting deleted after posting
- App crashes when trying to add parks
Requested features
15 requests- Add personal notes on places
- Filter out school playgrounds
- Ability to build a personal list of parks visited
- Support dark screens (writing visible)
- Filter for inclusive playground equipment
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Include Spark Parks
- Change pin colors to track visited playgrounds
- Track visited but disliked parks
- Add satellite view
- Adjust top buttons for newer iPhones
- Integrate Google's business feature for crowd avoidance
- Allow users to rate playgrounds
- Add option to add parks
- Consider getting sponsors for updates
- Add dark mode support
WhoseUp
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Playground Buddy
No in-app purchases
WhoseUp
- Who's Paying Pro$2.99
Questions
Is Playground Buddy free?
Is WhoseUp free?
Which has better reviews, Playground Buddy or WhoseUp?
Do Playground Buddy or WhoseUp have ads?
Which is updated more often, Playground Buddy or WhoseUp?
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