Pookie has no ads at all, on the free tier or premium, and nothing in the app is sold on. Paired and Lovewick don't show ads either but keep most features behind a subscription. Widgetable and Between both run ads in their free tiers. Widgetable is the heavy one, with reviewers describing two or three ads to feed a single pet. Between Plus removes its ads for $2.99 a month or $26.99 for life. Full list below.
An ad in a news app is annoying. An ad in a couples app is something else. You opened the app to see your partner's doodle, or feed the pet you named together, and instead you're watching thirty seconds of a mobile game you'll never install. Do that three times a day and the app stops feeling like a place that belongs to the two of you.
We went through around 1,400 recent one and two star reviews across the most recommended couples apps. Ads are the top complaint for two of them and barely mentioned for the rest. Here's who shows ads, who doesn't, and what it costs to make them go away.
Why ads hit harder in a couples app
Most of the ad complaints aren't about ads existing. They're about where the ads sit. The pattern from the reviews:
- Ads gate the pet. "Two or three ads just to feed one pet." "Ads behind everything, impossible to look after virtual pets without ads." When care for a shared pet is the thing being sold back to you, the pet becomes a chore.
- Ads creep up over time. Long-time Between users describe the ads as "steadily increasing to the point of being really intrusive," with some ads opening a browser without a tap. The app you downloaded and the app you have now aren't the same app.
- Paying doesn't always fix it. Widgetable reviewers who bought lifetime premium still report ads or a second currency for some items. If the ads only stop for a subscription, check what "removes ads" actually covers.
App by app
Pookie
Ads: none. Free or premium, there are no ads anywhere in Pookie, and nothing you put in it is sold on. The free tier covers the pet and plant, the real-time games, the shared whiteboard, 10,000+ questions and quizzes, doodles and notes that land on your partner's home screen, widgets, moods, the memory vault, the journal and map, and daily check-ins. Premium ($4.99 a month or $24.99 a year, one subscription for both of you) adds optional extras. The model is simple: the free tier is free, premium is premium, and neither one shows you a mobile game trailer.
Widgetable
Ads: heavy in the free tier. Widgetable has the best widget library of any couples app and a 4.9 rating on the App Store, so plenty of people are happy. But the ad complaints are consistent and specific. Feeding the pet, opening the app, claiming a reward, unlocking an item: each one can trigger an ad, and reviewers describe the same ad repeating three times in a row. To remove: the premium subscription removes most ads, though some reviewers on lifetime premium still hit ads or a diamond currency for certain items. If widgets are all you want and you can live with ads, the free tier is generous. If you want the pet, budget for premium.
Between
Ads: yes in the free tier. Between's free version includes the private messenger, the photo and video album, the shared calendar, and calls, all supported by ads. Users who've been on it for years say the ads got noticeably worse in 2025. To remove: Between Plus at $2.99 a month, $13.99 a year, or $26.99 once for life, which also adds themes and longer video messages. The lifetime price is the cheapest way to go ad-free on this list. The separate issue with Between is the run of reviews about old photos going blank, so back up the album whichever tier you're on.
Love8
Ads: yes, and tied to the pet. Love8 is a couples app with a shared pet and a drawing screen. The reviews describe ads as the way you pay for pet care if you don't subscribe, and complain that the ads sometimes fail to load, leaving the pet stuck. There are also privacy complaints about the activity status. To remove: subscription.
Locket
Ads: not a common complaint. Locket is a live photo widget rather than a couples app, and reviewers don't mention ads much. What they mention is features moving to Locket Gold, videos in particular, and the Android version lagging behind iOS. Free with Gold as the paid tier.
Paired
Ads: none. Paired doesn't show ads. It also doesn't show much for free: one daily question and date tracking, with everything else behind Paired Premium at about $14.99 a month. Reviewers complain about paywalls, cancellation, and refunds, never about ads. If you're choosing between ads and a paywall, Paired is firmly on the paywall side.
Lovewick
Ads: none. No ads, and reviewers note it. What changed is the free allowance, which dropped from ten cards a day to one. Premium is about $10 a month. Ad-free, but metered.
Ads comparison table
| App | Ads in free tier | Ads removed by | Price to remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pookie | None | Nothing to remove | $0 |
| Widgetable | Heavy, tied to pet care | Premium (most ads) | Subscription |
| Between | Yes, increasing | Between Plus | $2.99/mo or $26.99 lifetime |
| Love8 | Yes, tied to pet care | Subscription | Subscription |
| Locket | Rarely mentioned | n/a | Gold for extra features |
| Paired | None | Nothing to remove | $0 (paywall instead) |
| Lovewick | None | Nothing to remove | $0 (metered instead) |
No ads is not the same as free
Worth being clear about. The apps with no ads make their money somewhere, and for Paired and Lovewick that's a subscription that gates most of the app. That's a fair trade if the free tier does what you need. Read our guide to couples apps that are actually free for what each one gives you before the wall.
Pookie's answer is to keep the free tier big and ad-free, and charge $4.99 a month for the extras that cost real money to run, like the online games and the whiteboard. One subscription covers both partners. You can see the full breakdown on our comparison page, or read the 7 best couples apps in 2026 for how the apps stack up beyond ads. Long distance couples should also check the best apps for long distance relationships, where ads are a bigger deal because you're in the app more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which couples app has no ads?
Pookie has no ads on the free tier or premium. Paired and Lovewick also show no ads but keep most features behind a subscription. Widgetable, Between, and Love8 all run ads in their free tiers, and Widgetable is the heaviest, with reviewers describing several ads per pet feeding.
Does Widgetable have too many ads?
That is the most common complaint in Widgetable's recent one and two star reviews. Reviewers describe watching two or three ads to feed a pet, ads on opening the app, and the same ad repeating. The premium subscription removes most of them, though some users on lifetime premium still report ads or a diamond currency for certain items.
How do I remove ads in Between?
Between Plus removes ads. It costs $2.99 a month, $13.99 a year, or $26.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase, and one purchase covers you and your partner. Plus also adds themes, love letters, and longer video and voice messages.
Is there a virtual pet app for couples without ads?
Pookie. The pet and plant you raise together are on the free tier, and there are no ads anywhere in the app, so feeding and playing with the pet never triggers one. Widgetable and Love8 also have shared pets, but both use ads to gate pet care in their free tiers.
Do ad-free couples apps cost more?
Not necessarily. Pookie is free with no ads, and its premium tier is $4.99 a month for both partners. Between's ad-free tier is $2.99 a month or $26.99 for life. Paired, which has no ads, is the most expensive at about $14.99 a month. The cost depends more on how much the app gates than on whether it shows ads.
Pookie has no ads. None.
Not on the free tier, not on premium, not to feed the pet. A pet, a plant, doodles on the home screen, widgets, and a private vault, free on iPhone and Android.