Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Fishbowl vs LinkedIn

Fishbowl 4.6★ · Free to download 60
Winner LinkedIn
LinkedIn 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75

LinkedIn is the stronger choice for broad professional networking and job searching, despite its premium paywalls and occasional bugs, while Fishbowl is better for anonymous, industry-specific discussions but suffers from significant technical issues and moderation concerns.

Full reviews: Fishbowl · LinkedIn

LinkedIn remains the dominant professional networking platform, offering extensive connections and job search tools, though users report issues with premium features and app stability. Fishbowl provides a unique space for anonymous, industry-specific discussions but is plagued by frequent bugs, poor customer support, and inconsistent content moderation.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: LinkedInR1R15R31R33
Fishbowl Fishbowl users appreciate its unique focus on anonymous, industry-specific discussions, allowing for candid conversations about workplace issues, salaries, and company insights R31R33. However, some long-time users feel the app has gone downhill, becoming too broad and similar to Reddit R1. There are also complaints about the inability to easily block or mute users and threads R15.
LinkedIn LinkedIn is valued for its extensive professional networking capabilities, connecting users to colleagues, mentors, and job opportunities . Users also find it useful for career advice and life insights . However, many users are frustrated by features being locked behind a paywall, such as extensive search capabilities and job viewing R63R87. Some also report issues with the new layout and notification settings .
Ease of Use & Reliability edge: LinkedInR3R4R7R9
Fishbowl Fishbowl is plagued by numerous technical bugs and reliability issues. Users report being unable to log out R3, the feed not showing fresh content R4, server issues preventing profile updates R7R9, being stuck on the gender selection screen during sign-up R13R19R22, the app hanging in networking mode , digest emails not linking to conversations , slow feed loading , being booted from company bowls , and being unable to post or comment R40. The app also doesn't work well in landscape mode on iPad and has keyboard issues when replying .
LinkedIn LinkedIn also has its share of usability and reliability problems. Many users struggle with the sign-in and verification process, encountering CAPTCHA loops and difficulty accessing accounts R64R70R73R76. The app is reported to crash frequently, especially after upgrading to premium R67, and can be extremely slow to load pages and edit information . Commenting features are buggy, with the cursor jumping and tagging issues . Some users find the iPad experience cumbersome and report the 'My network' page often stays blank .
Moderation & Support edge: LinkedInR6R10R24R25
Fishbowl Fishbowl users express significant concerns about content moderation and customer support. Some users report being unfairly banned or suspended for comments that were not offensive, citing arbitrary reporting and a lack of vetting R10R24. There are claims that the app protects big companies and curates messages, even banning users for truthful reviews R6R25. Crucially, many users report nonexistent or unresponsive customer support, especially when dealing with account issues, verification, or technical problems R40.
LinkedIn LinkedIn also faces criticism regarding its support and content management. Users report difficulties getting help for hacked accounts and issues with lost premium memberships . There are complaints about excessive and spammy notifications, even after attempts to turn them off . Some users feel the platform is crowded with fake job postings and 'job gurus,' lacking authenticity . Concerns about consumer security and unauthorized account access are also raised .
Price & Value tieR7R28R39R40
Fishbowl Fishbowl is free to download, and while reviews don't explicitly mention paid tiers, issues like limited bowl access R39 and the app's overall bugginess R7R40 diminish its value. Some users also express concern about data privacy, suggesting the app might sell data to employers R28 and that the anonymity is a 'lie' as it expects real names or companies R60.
LinkedIn LinkedIn is free to download but heavily relies on in-app purchases and premium subscriptions. Many users feel that essential features, such as extensive search capabilities and job viewing, are locked behind a paywall, making the free experience frustrating and limited R63R87. Some users report that even after paying for premium, the app still crashes or doesn't work properly R67R94. There are strong accusations of the app being an 'absolute scam' with 'hidden charges' and difficulty unsubscribing from premium .
Pick Fishbowl if

You are looking for a platform to engage in anonymous, candid discussions about workplace issues, salaries, and company culture within specific industries R31R33. You value the ability to get 'the real low-down' at your firm or connect with people going through similar experiences .

Pick LinkedIn if

You need a broad professional networking platform for job searching, connecting with colleagues, and career growth . You are willing to navigate occasional bugs and potentially pay for premium features to access advanced search and job application tools R63R87.

Evidence note: Fishbowl's reviews are heavily skewed towards recent negative experiences, particularly regarding app functionality and customer support, despite its higher lifetime rating. LinkedIn's reviews, while also containing complaints about bugs and paywalls, reflect a more established and functional platform overall.

Frequently asked

Is Fishbowl truly anonymous?
While Fishbowl offers anonymous posting within bowls, some users report that the app now expects you to post with your real name or company, and raise concerns about data privacy, suggesting the app might sell data to employers R28R60.
What are the main issues with Fishbowl?
The main issues with Fishbowl include frequent technical bugs like being stuck on the gender selection screen, inability to update profile information, and posting failures, along with nonexistent customer support and concerns about arbitrary content moderation R7R13R19R22.
Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?
Many LinkedIn users express frustration that essential features like extensive search capabilities and job viewing are locked behind a paywall, making the free experience limited, and some report that even after paying, the app still crashes or doesn't work properly R63R67R87R94.
Why do users have trouble signing into LinkedIn?
Users frequently report difficulties signing into LinkedIn due to tedious and unreliable verification processes, including CAPTCHA loops and invasive ID requirements, often leading to being stuck in circles or unable to access their accounts R64R70R73R76.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Went downhill: This used to be where you can ask questions about life (dating, parenting, etc.) and you get answers from an educated pool of your consulting peers. Now that they have opened the app to all kinds of professions, the answers that you get are very different from before. This is no different from Reddit at this point and a waste of time.
  2. [R15] Fishbowl 3/5 · US Block/mute function needed: I want to be able to hide threads and block users if I need to but Fishbowl doesn’t make it easy to do so.
  3. [R31] Fishbowl 5/5 · US What an awesome site!: Beyond informative from real people sharing so much job related info!!!
  4. [R33] Fishbowl 5/5 · US Insider insanity: I can go doom scroll all day if I couldn’t control my impulses. That’s how great this app is in bringing together a wide ranging group of knowledge workers to share secrets and validate rumors. Or start them. Read these posts at your own peril and pleasure but don’t believe everything you see. Follow up elsewhere on your own.
  5. [R3] Fishbowl 3/5 · US Can’t Log out.: Great App for anything you might need into but how come I CANNOT log out of the account or the app? That’s just beyond bizarre to me.
  6. [R4] Fishbowl 2/5 · US No longer showing fresh content, no longer checking daily: For the past 1-2 months, I’ve gone from using fishbowl daily to only checking it once or twice a month. Why, you ask? Because for some unknown reason, the developers decided to change the “My Feed” sorting algorithm to only show the most popular posts from my bowls within around a month, meaning that every time I open the app I see the sam
  7. [R7] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Broken App: This app constantly has server issues so you can’t update your industry. Can’t update your email or can’t update your description either you can try to update it 4, 5+ or more times it just won’t stick the app and their servers don’t work.
  8. [R9] Fishbowl 3/5 · US Not bad: This app sounds great in theory, it is in amazing idea. However, there are many things that need to be fixed in the app. An example is the ability to change your position if you, for instance, get a promotion. Changed mine almost 6 months ago and it still shows as “pending”… don’t think anyone is reviewing those.
  9. [R6] Fishbowl 3/5 · US I wish I could give 5 stars: But Fishbowl (like Glassdoor) is still bowing to the company demands to “curate” messages. You want 5 stars? Show users why they should trust the hard messages they have the courage to share aren’t erased by corporate interests.
  10. [R10] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Copywriter: Been closed out twice for comments that were not offensive or out of bounds at all. Seems arbitrary. Bit lame. Only use for job search stuff now and barely contribute original posts bc of the grandmas reporting comments for no reason.
  11. [R24] Fishbowl 3/5 · US Great app but a TON of snowflakes who report everything: Title says it all. No vetting on why people report you - you just get suspended if you have more than like 4 violations. You can get reported for saying anything that is right of center in the politics bowl or anything critical of COVID policies. Outside of this - it’s awesome. They need to come up with a support team to review the repor
  12. [R25] Fishbowl 1/5 · US They’ll Protect Big Companies.: I was banned from this app for leaving truthful reviews about my company. They sided with the leaders of my company who reported my very plain and matter-of-fact posts and replies as ‘vulgar and offensive’. This IS NOT an app that fosters open conversation, it’s a tool for companies to control their own external optics.
  13. [R28] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Selling your data to your employers: App barely worked half the time, wonder why they want your email address? It’s to sell the data to your employer. Don’t trust it, don’t use it, and use an application that doesn’t “need” your personal identifier to use.
  14. [R39] Fishbowl 5/5 · US Very enjoyable: I love all the different bowls. I do love how in anonymous so when I see others from my company posting I can reply without fear of judgement! My only complaint is that you can only join a few bowls so if you see one you want to join you have to delete another one.
  15. [R40] Fishbowl 1/5 · US The app is broken: Something is wrong with the app. I am now unable to make new posts or respond to new posts. But far more troubling is that there is no one working for the app who will respond anymore to any messages. This is my last attempt to see if they will respond before I delete the app.
  16. [R60] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Anonymous is a lie: Now expects you to post with your real name or company (which is bad when at a smaller company), marks titles as "pending" for several months. Deleted the app, since it's basically LinkedIn pretending to be something else.
  17. [R13] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Unable to sign up: The app is stuck on Gender selection screen. I've tried deleting and reinstalling as well. Still its stuck. Please fix it
  18. [R19] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Can't access further due to gender selection: As the other user pointed out I can't access this app due to this gender selection page keeps asking my gender & refreshing forever. I have exhausted all options and even reinstalled but it doesn't work.
  19. [R22] Fishbowl 1/5 · US Can’t access: .edu account creation gets stuck in a loop at select a gender - the question just resets. Downloading and reinstalling the app doesn’t help.
  20. [R63] LinkedIn 3/5 · US Cannot Access Certain Features Unless You Pay: I can no longer extensively browse people through search because I have to pay in order to look at more than 5 people but I can't afford to pay for the monthly or yearly membership as it's ridiculously priced. I understand how Premium makes sense for the job application process but everyone should have unlimited access to the search capabilities.
  21. [R67] LinkedIn 1/5 · US Once I paid, it crashes every time I open it: Once I upgraded to premium. Every time I open the app on my iPad it prompts me for an update. And doesn't allow me to do anything. I click update. Which brings up the App Store. Asking me to open the app. And it starts all over again, prompting me for the update. I've deleted the app. Reinstalled the app. I can do nothing on LinkedIn. Because all I get
  22. [R87] LinkedIn 3/5 · US App usability and features are degrading and moved having paywall: Quality of this app and LinkedIn overall gradually has been degrading over the last few years. With the latest update they are focusing on further limiting features and searches. I expect this focus on making $ at any cost to the user experience to continue and LinkedIn will become fully paid app. The good news there are now alt
  23. [R94] LinkedIn 1/5 · US Bad app: Too expensive and doesn’t work even when you pay.
  24. [R64] LinkedIn 1/5 · US Not a robot: I haven’t logged in to LinkedIn in years. Trying to login seems impossible. The “not a robot” prompts are apparently too difficult for me to understand. Mark all boxes with busses. If a bus bleeds over to another square does that count as a square? Tried both ways and still I fail it. Try the audio version. Am I supposed to put spaces between the words? Try both ways and still fail. H
  25. [R70] LinkedIn 1/5 · US Problematic & Evasive: Sign in process can be outlandishly time consuming and ID requirements can be shockingly invasive.
  26. [R73] LinkedIn 1/5 · US CANT SIGN IN: It won’t let me sign in. I’m being led in circles. To approve a sign in, I have to “follow steps in your LinkedIn app” well I can’t. I’m trying to sign into the app. To sign in it says it will send an email to verify myself, in that email, it says “We noticed you recently tried to sign in to your Linkedin account from a new device. You can finish signing in to your LinkedIn account b
  27. [R76] LinkedIn 1/5 · US Janky barely works: The app barely works. Spent 10 mins on one recaptch only to find out it was stuck in a loop

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store