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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Marco Polo vs Hoop

Marco Polo 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70
Winner Marco Polo
Hoop 4.5★ · Free + IAP 40

Marco Polo is the better choice for established communication with friends and family, despite its recent shift to a more aggressive paid model, while Hoop struggles with core functionality and user experience.

Full reviews: Marco Polo · Hoop

Marco Polo excels as a video messaging app for staying in touch with loved ones, though many users are frustrated by its increasing paywalls and occasional glitches. Hoop, designed for making new friends, is plagued by numerous complaints about its pay-to-play model, excessive ads, lack of in-app chat, and issues with finding genuine connections.

Head to head

Core Communication & Connection edge: Marco PoloR2R14R20R35
Marco Polo Marco Polo is highly valued for keeping in touch with friends and family through video messages, allowing asynchronous communication that fits various schedules R2R14R35. Users appreciate its ability to connect with loved ones who are far away or elderly R20.
Hoop Hoop aims to help users make new friends, with some reporting success in connecting with many people quickly . However, a significant drawback is the lack of an in-app chat function, forcing users to switch to other apps for actual communication R76R81R87R97.
Features and Functionality edge: Marco PoloR10R15R16R19
Marco Polo Marco Polo offers features like video updates, unlimited storage (for paid users), and previously had transcripts and closed captions R10R16R19. However, many users lament the removal of features like closed captions and transcript copying, moving them behind a paywall R16R19R22. Some users also desire features like background listening or in-app text messaging R15.
Hoop Hoop's features are primarily focused on connecting users to external social media platforms . Users express a desire for more free features, including a state filter to find local connections . The app is criticized for requiring users to have Snapchat or TikTok accounts to even create an account .
Ease of Use & Reliability edge: Marco PoloR1R3R6R12
Marco Polo Marco Polo is generally considered simple and easy to use for its core video messaging . However, many recent reviews highlight significant reliability issues, including lagging videos, freezing, messages not playing, and videos being deleted for no reason R6R12. The notification system is also a common point of frustration, with users receiving too many irrelevant alerts and lacking granular control R1R3.
Hoop Hoop users report a high number of glitches and bugs, with the app crashing or not functioning correctly . Some users also report that purchased items, like profile boosts or bulk requests, do not work as advertised .
Price and Value edge: Marco PoloR4R7R9R10
Marco Polo Marco Polo's free version is described as extremely limited and difficult to use, with many essential features now behind a paywall R4R7R9. Users express strong dissatisfaction with the high subscription prices, recent price increases R51, and the removal of previously free features R10R16. Many feel the cost is not justified, especially for those who only communicate with a few people R12R15R33.
Hoop Hoop is widely criticized for its aggressive monetization, with users feeling that almost every action requires payment . The app is also plagued by an excessive number of ads, even for free users, which significantly detracts from the experience R89R91R96R98. Users report that spending money on features like gems or boosts does not yield promised results .
Safety and Support edge: Marco PoloR22R28R29R82
Marco Polo Marco Polo has a review mentioning responsive customer service for an audio issue R29. However, another user reported no response after 6 days regarding a closed captioning issue R22. One serious concern was raised about malicious functionality, with the app sending messages to unintended recipients R28.
Hoop Hoop raises significant safety concerns, particularly regarding age verification, with reports of adults adding minors R82. The app also has issues with catfishing and bots .
Pick Marco Polo if

you want a dedicated video messaging app to stay connected with close friends and family, and are willing to pay for premium features or tolerate the limitations of the free version R2R14R35.

Pick Hoop if

you are looking for an app primarily to find new friends and are comfortable with the idea of connecting through external social media platforms, despite the numerous paywalls and ads .

Evidence note: Marco Polo has a much larger volume of reviews, offering more detailed feedback across various dimensions. Hoop's reviews are often short and focus heavily on its monetization issues and lack of core chat functionality. The free vs. paid asymmetry is very pronounced for both apps, with significant negativity stemming from the limitations and aggressive paywalls in their free tiers.

Frequently asked

What are the main complaints about Marco Polo's free version?
Users frequently complain that the free version of Marco Polo is extremely limited, with many essential features like unlimited storage, video uploads, transcripts, and closed captions moved behind a paywall R4R7R10R16. The app is also criticized for its high subscription prices and recent increases R51.
Does Hoop allow in-app messaging?
No, Hoop does not allow in-app messaging, which is a major point of frustration for users who are forced to switch to other apps like Snapchat or TikTok to communicate with new connections R76R81R87R97.
Are there many ads in Hoop?
Yes, Hoop is heavily criticized for having an excessive number of ads, with users reporting frequent interruptions, sometimes seeing 10 ads within 30 people swiped, even for free users R89R91R96R98.
What are the price complaints for Marco Polo?
Users report that Marco Polo's premium subscription is expensive, with prices increasing significantly, such as a jump from £44.99 to £79.99 annually R51 and family plans increasing by $40 from $119.99 to $159.99 . Many feel these prices are unreasonable and not justified by the features offered R15R33R55.

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] Marco Polo 5/5 · US Communicating: It’s so nice to send these back and forth to family
  2. [R14] Marco Polo 5/5 · US Marco Polo: Marco Polo is great for friends who have moved away so you can keep in touch like FaceTime!!
  3. [R20] Marco Polo 5/5 · US Best way: Best way to chat with friends in different places!
  4. [R35] Marco Polo 5/5 · US Best app ever: Best app ever it makes it so that I can talk to my entire family even when I don’t respond that moment, I can still see what they Marco Polo mean later on my free time best app ever
  5. [R10] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Used to be great, greed ruined it: It’s really a huge disappointment. My whole family loved Marco Polo. It was our preferred method of keeping in touch. We would use the Sharecast feature for video updates of our kids. The ability to upload videos, the unlimited storage, even the transcripts of Polos was great. What was really amazing is that as a Plus member you used to be able to gift temporary P
  6. [R15] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Desires in an app: I wish it was free to close the app while listening to the video I want the ability to put the phone in my pocket while listening with my EarPods without the video stopping I also wish it was cheaper to get the premium and even a one time purchase would be great!
  7. [R16] Marco Polo 1/5 · US WHY DID YOU REMOVE CLOSED CAPTIONS!!??: My wife is deaf and can only watch our family Polos with captions! Very ableist and a dirty trick by the developers and needs to be reversed! Even people who aren’t deaf or hard of hearing may like this feature to watch a Polo without the sound as to not disturb others. The developers of this app are constantly removing basic features and placing them behin
  8. [R19] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Transcript copy removed from pro: Hopefully this is just a bug, but the absolute best feature and the reason me and my developers where using pro and sharing was the transcript copy feature. This has been removed and it is rather frustrating. We are working around this of course but we are a small hobby team right now with the hope of growing capital in the future.
  9. [R1] Marco Polo 2/5 · US Terrible notification system: No, I don’t want to be notified in the middle of the day that I’m all caught up. No, I don’t want to know when my contact is online. I just want to know when I receive a message. Thanks to Marco Polo’s extremely limited notification settings, that’s not a possibility.
  10. [R3] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Notifications needs attention: The app will notify you anytime your friends are online. This is way too often, and there’s not a specific setting to turn it off. It’s miserable. So I’ve had to just disable notifications entirely - I review polos whenever now. My friends are adjusting lol
  11. [R6] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Great until you pay for it: I have had Marco Polo for a while now, this is how I talk to my best friend everyday. I decided to upgrade to premium because we use it so much that it was worth the money for the features. However, ever since upgrading and now paying the app has severely lacked. When actively talking back and forth most of the time the “live” doesn’t come back until 3-4 minutes into th
  12. [R12] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Great idea: The idea is awesome and is easy to use. Unfortunately it works when it wants to work. Some get deleted for no reason or it’s unable to view. It is free so I wonder if we payed for the subscription if it would work better. I can’t justify the price when I only talk to one person though. If I had a family and more friends on it then it might be worth it. Over all it is a neat way to keep
  13. [R4] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Buns: Will literally delete everything if you don’t pay for it
  14. [R7] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Most features are PAID: Free features are extremely limited. Would rather use WhatsApp than this
  15. [R9] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Cool app won’t pay: Been using Marco Polo for years liked it much better when it was free and they were trying to sell you on a subscription or something. There’s too many other ways to video chat with people that are free so why should I pay a subscription for Marco Polo?
  16. [R22] Marco Polo 2/5 · US Please bring back closed captioning!: The transcript hasn’t been working and my app removed the closed captioning option so I have no way of reading what my friends are saying! Edit: They replied saying I should reach out to the support team, I already did 6 days ago with no response.
  17. [R28] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Malicious functionality: App sends messages to wrong/unintended recipients without warning. Even after deleting the app and removing all data, app continues to send requests to random recipients. Unnacceptable.
  18. [R29] Marco Polo 5/5 · US No Bluetooth?: Fun app! It makes connecting with others easy. Responsive customer service, too. I had an issue with the audio: streaming to Bluetooth-connected devices was not working. I reached out to the developers via customer service and received an email with instructions that led me to the solution.
  19. [R82] Hoop 2/5 · US Age safety: There have been a few incidents where grownups are the ones texting/adding me from hoop. Just recently a man who told me he was 27 (I’m 17) somehow added me. Immediately it raised red flags and I was super confused as to how he would’ve found me to begin with. Our age groups don’t even align in the slightest.
  20. [R76] Hoop 2/5 · US Aaliyah: You can’t really do much and find a lot of friends or text them
  21. [R81] Hoop 3/5 · US I was wrong🥲🥲🥲: I honestly thought you could message people on here
  22. [R87] Hoop 3/5 · US …: It’s alright ion like the fact that you can’t chat
  23. [R97] Hoop 1/5 · US No CHAT: What’s the point of the app if we can’t text in the app? Pretty idiotic idea
  24. [R89] Hoop 4/5 · US Pretty good: Pretty good I just don’t like how you have to pay for it when you have a ton of pop adds if it’s free I think it should not have hidden paywalls
  25. [R91] Hoop 1/5 · US Good app so far: just has kind of a lot of adds but ntm
  26. [R96] Hoop 3/5 · US Ads: The ads on this app are kinda crazy. You can’t swipe for more than a minute without ads popping up which is super annoying
  27. [R98] Hoop 5/5 · US too much money and adds: i had like 10 adds on the course of 30 people and i had to pay to get more swipes
  28. [R33] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Make this app more affordable: I like this app, but it would be so much better if you made it a one time charge overall or lowered your price to something more affordable and reasonable. I guarantee if you lowered your prices to something more affordable, then you would see people subscribe for sure. Anything over $30 is very unreasonable, especially during times like this.
  29. [R51] Marco Polo 3/5 · GB Why the huge price increase?: My sister in law and I use this to communicate and have done for several years. Her quality of videos is great but mine are a bit blurry if I watch them back. But the reason for writing this review is the huge price hike. I only pay for premium because I want the ability to jot notes and occasionally speed a message up at times but a huge hike from £44.99 to £79.99 a
  30. [R55] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Coercive rent seeking app: Removed a lot of features in an attempt to coerce you into paying infinite amounts of money via a rather high cost subscription. They also let you stack up a bunch of videos in an attempt to hold the videos as ransom for the subscription. I would have paid a single fee or perhaps a far more reasonable subscription but between the high cost and coercive marketing ill neve

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