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

Nextdoor vs Patch

Nextdoor 4.7★ · Free + IAP 70
Winner Nextdoor
Patch 4.7★ · Free to download 60

Nextdoor is better for direct community interaction and finding local services, while Patch excels as a source for local news, despite its own issues with content and app functionality.

Full reviews: Nextdoor · Patch

Nextdoor offers a platform for direct neighbor-to-neighbor communication, lost and found, and local recommendations, but struggles with moderation, spam, and app stability. Patch provides local news and events, often without a paywall, but users report issues with content relevance, political bias, and frequent app crashes.

Head to head

Community Interaction & Content edge: NextdoorR2R3R9R11
Nextdoor Nextdoor is praised for connecting neighbors, helping find lost pets, and facilitating local support, but many users find the content to be low-value, filled with complaints, beggars, and scams R2R3R9R11. There are also concerns about too many ads and irrelevant posts from outside their immediate neighborhood R25.
Patch Patch is valued for providing local news and event information, often without a paywall R62. However, some users find the content disorganized, outdated, lacking detail, or too political and biased . The ability to connect with neighbors directly has been removed or is limited .
Moderation & Censorship tieR1R8R10R16
Nextdoor Nextdoor faces significant criticism for its moderation system, which relies on volunteer moderators and is perceived as arbitrary, biased, and leading to account deactivations without clear reasons R1R8R10R16. Users report censorship, especially regarding political opinions .
Patch Patch has removed the ability for users to comment on articles, which some users lament as a loss of community interaction and a way to avoid criticism R99R116. There are also complaints about political bias in the news reporting .
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR6R7R12R13
Nextdoor Nextdoor users report numerous technical issues including relentless notifications and emails even after disabling them R6R7R12, difficulty signing in or being locked out R13, bugs, freezing, slow loading times, and buttons not working . The search function is also deemed useless, and the layout can be confusing R12.
Patch Patch users frequently experience app crashes, especially after updates . Some find the app disorganized and difficult to navigate . Accessibility for users with low vision is also a concern . Polls and sharing features sometimes do not work .
Privacy & Data tieR4R21R97R104
Nextdoor Nextdoor is criticized for automatically selling sensitive data, which users have to manually opt-out of R4. Some users are also uncomfortable with their address and name appearing on the platform R21.
Patch Patch is accused of being an 'ad and data collection app' masquerading as a news platform R104. Users also complain about too many ads R97.
Pick Nextdoor if

You want a platform primarily for direct interaction with neighbors, finding lost pets, or getting local recommendations, and are willing to navigate its moderation and technical issues R11.

Pick Patch if

You are looking for a free source of local news and events, and don't mind potential political bias or occasional app instability R83R92R99.

Evidence note: Both apps have a high lifetime rating, but recent reviews for both show significant dissatisfaction, particularly with app functionality, content relevance, and moderation/bias. Nextdoor has a much larger user base and review volume, leading to more detailed complaints across various dimensions. Patch's reviews are fewer and tend to focus on news content and app crashes.

Frequently asked

Is Nextdoor free to use?
Yes, Nextdoor is free to download and use, but it includes in-app purchases (IAP) and users report a significant number of ads R25.
Does Patch offer local news?
Yes, Patch is primarily a source for local news and events, with many users appreciating its coverage of their area R62R83R92R107.
Are there issues with notifications on Nextdoor?
Yes, many Nextdoor users report persistent and excessive email and app notifications, even after attempting to disable them in settings R6R7R12.
Why can't I comment on articles in Patch?
Patch has removed the option for users to comment on articles, a change that some users are disappointed by, while others are glad to see the feature gone due to negativity R99R116.

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. [R2] Nextdoor 5/5 · US Great Information: This has been so helpful to me!
  2. [R3] Nextdoor 3/5 · US Value: Rarely anything of value on this app
  3. [R9] Nextdoor 3/5 · US Too many bots scamming: No photos that day there interested in buying items but don’t respond new profile made also
  4. [R11] Nextdoor 5/5 · US ND Rocks🎉🎉🎉🎉: I find that Next Door is truly one of the absolute best ways to communicate your needs observations with your community. Whether it is a fundraiser you hold to support certain cause, whether it's a dog that you saw and want to find someone, whether you lost your dog and needs your friends or Next Door to help you find your dog, whether it's a person in need in general, it is a really
  5. [R1] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Do better: It’s ridiculous how whoever in charged pick and choose what post to removed. It’s becoming worst than TikTok
  6. [R8] Nextdoor 5/5 · US Review: I was put in read only mode and wasn’t given the reason?
  7. [R10] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Nothing but bad experiences: **Review of Nextdoor Moderation Practices** Nextdoor, designed as a community platform for neighbors to connect, buy, and sell, has a significant flaw in its moderation system that leaves users vulnerable to arbitrary account deactivation. The app relies on volunteer moderators, fellow users, who have the power to shut down accounts without clear guidelines or consisten
  8. [R16] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Bullying and not helpful: I joined when this app first opened my family and I have a construction company that’s well known in the neighborhood. Every time I would let people know about our services other contractors in the neighborhood felt threatened and started complaining, even though at the time it was allowed to offer services I have found that the app allows a person in the neighborhood to
  9. [R6] Nextdoor 3/5 · US Notifications don’t stop even when you disable them: There is no reason I should still be getting notifications about posts with comments I reacted to. I am ready to delete this app because the notifications and emails are relentless no matter how much I adjust my settings.
  10. [R7] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Email notifications spam: It should be illegal to have so many email notifications enabled by default. Terrible
  11. [R12] Nextdoor 3/5 · US Clutters all of my email addresses: Difficult to use it is like an overgrowth of ivy, it spreads into every one of my email accounts. I cant find replies to my posts about items I am selling or giving away. No useful help. I found a message from some administrator that I had 3 accounts and the message disappeared before I could reply and correct it. No help desk, no user instructions. This app is
  12. [R13] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Clicking on the ap: Why do I have-to enter a code. Number to get into the app ??
  13. [R4] Nextdoor 1/5 · US PROBLEMS: - won't let you delete a business page - automatically sells sensitive data which you have to manually turn off if you don't want them to do - doesn't let you pick profile/background photos from an album and makes you scroll all the way through
  14. [R21] Nextdoor 3/5 · GB Privacy: I’m not sure how this website works. I am not happy to have my address and name appear. Thank you.
  15. [R97] Patch 4/5 · US Like the app: Like the info but the ads get annoying but I know that’s how they keep it free!
  16. [R104] Patch 1/5 · US Nothing local!! It’s an ad app 👎🏼❌: This is an ad and data collection app masquerading as a news platform. I’m subscribed to my city and the city next door, and the feed is filled with clickbait & ragebait 500+ miles away and all over the country. If an app is designed with a feature to select a city for LOCAL news, that is what the app should provide.
  17. [R25] Nextdoor 1/5 · US Too many ads: My community is very small and yet there are more ads than local posts. Too many for me to continue.
  18. [R62] Patch 5/5 · US Awesome information: Thanks PATCH keep up the good work
  19. [R83] Patch 5/5 · US Patch: Patch is a great source of news and events happening in my area. I rely on this site to provide the latest and most accurate information.
  20. [R92] Patch 5/5 · US Helpful: Up to date local news
  21. [R107] Patch 5/5 · US New Jersey news my news: Love having Patch on my phone makes me feel very secure and I know it’s going on in my state
  22. [R99] Patch 5/5 · US Great Local News: Patch is a great source for local news briefs. They cover things that I cannot find in my local news paper or cable news network. At one time there was the option to comment on articles. Unfortunately it became depressingly negative. So much so that it became a huge turn off. Unlike some others here, I am thrilled that feature has been removed. For those of you that are bothe
  23. [R116] Patch 1/5 · US Another "news" app that removed reader comments.: They claim it's while they improve app. I've seen Yahoo say the same thing years ago and comments never came back. I'm sure it's the same case here as Patch couldn't handle the occasional criticism in the reader comments. Lame.

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