Updated September 2026
Picolo is the drinking game app everyone has heard of, and for good reason: type in names, pass the phone, follow prompts that pull every player into the dares. It's slick and it starts in seconds. The reason people go looking for an alternative is almost always the same: only one mode is free, the rest sits behind a subscription with tiers up to $45.99 on the US listing, and its reviews are full of two complaints – surprise charges after the trial, and the free pack getting repetitive fast. Prices and ratings below are from the US App Store, September 2026.
What to look for in a Picolo alternative
- Honest pricing. Either a one-time unlock, a clearly priced subscription, or a free tier that's actually playable for a whole night.
- No ads. Picolo doesn't show ads; a replacement shouldn't either.
- One phone, no account. Pass-the-phone is the whole point of a drinking game app.
- Works offline. Cabins, campsites and basements have bad signal.
Full disclosure: Cold Ones is our own app. It's first because it fits all four; the other five are here because each is genuinely good at something.
Cold Ones
Eight games, no ads, several of them free forever.
Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Paranoia, Impostor, Trivia, They're a 10, But…, Party Mode and Roulette in one download, 3,000+ prompts, four languages, no login, works offline. Impostor, Trivia, Roulette and Party Mode Classic are free with no time limit; one optional subscription unlocks the remaining games and modes. There are no ads on any tier, and a whole night's play with the free games is genuinely possible. What it doesn't do: weave your names into prompts the way Picolo does.
Pros
- Several complete games free, forever
- No ads, one phone, no account
- Works offline, 4 languages
- Party Mode for big groups, Impostor for 3–12
Cons
- Prompts don't use player names like Picolo's
- Younger catalog than Picolo's
Do or Drink
Do the dare or take the drink – with a one-time price.
The digital version of the viral card game: draw a card, do the challenge or drink. The Premium Bundle is a $9.99 one-time purchase, decks are $4.99, and there are no ads. Rated 4.6 on iOS. Two real caveats: it's iPhone-only in practice (the official Android app left Google Play in 2024), and recent reviews report the premium unlock re-locking and long silences from support.
Pros
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- No ads
- Themed decks, crude in a good way
Cons
- iPhone only
- Reviews report premium re-locking and no support
- Free deck runs thin fast
TOZ
Fourteen party games in thirty languages.
Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Most Likely To, Would You Rather and more, with chill, fun and hot modes and weekly new cards. Rated 4.7 on iOS, 30 languages, no ads in the listing. It used to be entirely free; the good packs now sit behind premium tiers from $4.99 to $44.99, and several recent reviews mention weekly pricing – so check the price screen before tapping a trial.
Pros
- Broadest game selection of the group
- 30 languages
Cons
- Best packs now behind a subscription
- Weekly pricing complaints in recent reviews
Truth or Dare · Party Games (Chouic)
The top-rated pure Truth or Dare app.
Over 1,000 questions across five intensity levels, couple and group modes, a spin-wheel picker and 12 languages, rated 4.9 from about 13,000 ratings. No ads mentioned. Pricing is the thing to read carefully: subscriptions run $2.99–$3.99 a week or $24.99 a year, but there are also one-time unlocks at $3.99–$8.99, which is the option to take.
Pros
- Huge Truth or Dare pool, 12 languages
- One-time unlock available if you avoid the subscription
Cons
- Single game only
- Weekly subscription is the default upsell
Most Likely To (DH3 Games)
Pass-the-phone voting, cheap to unlock.
Read the card, everyone votes on who's most likely to do it, the loser drinks. Free with a premium unlock at $2.99–$4.99 (or a $2.99 weekly option to avoid), rated 4.5. The listing says it contains advertising, and reviews complain that some settings are paywalled.
Pros
- Simple, works with any group
- Cheap one-time unlock exists
Cons
- Ads in the free version
- One game only
Drink Roulette
Spin the wheel, do the thing.
Add names, spin, whoever it lands on does the challenge. Lots of modes with adjustable intensity and free to start. The free version shows ads and premium pricing leans weekly, which is why it's last here rather than higher.
Pros
- Instant, zero learning curve
- Free to start
Cons
- Ads in the free version
- Weekly-leaning premium pricing
Picolo vs Cold Ones at a glance
- Free content: Picolo – one mode. Cold Ones – four complete games (Impostor, Trivia, Roulette, Party Mode Classic).
- Ads: neither shows ads.
- Paid model: Picolo – subscription tiers up to $45.99 plus $3.99 packs. Cold Ones – one optional subscription for the remaining games and modes.
- Setup: both are one phone, pass it around. Picolo asks for names first and uses them in prompts; Cold Ones starts straight into the game.
- Languages: Picolo – 14. Cold Ones – 4 (English, German, Spanish, French), each with native prompts.
How to cancel a Picolo subscription
Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription – that's the source of most of the "still charged" reviews.
- iPhone: Settings → your name at the top → Subscriptions → Picolo → Cancel Subscription. You keep access until the end of the paid period.
- Android: Play Store → your profile picture → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Picolo → Cancel.
- If a trial converted without you noticing, request a refund through Apple's reportaproblem.apple.com or Google Play's order history; both handle first-time refund requests routinely.
Cold Ones is free to download on iPhone and Android. Try the free games first, and if you never tap the subscription you'll never be charged a cent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Picolo?
Cold Ones, if the thing you want is content you do not have to pay weekly for: four complete games are free with no time limit and no ads. If you would rather pay once and be done, Do or Drink sells a one-time bundle instead of a subscription, though it is effectively iPhone only.
How do I cancel my Picolo subscription?
Deleting the app does not cancel it. On iPhone go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions, then Picolo, then Cancel Subscription. On Android open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions, then Picolo, then Cancel. If a trial converted without you noticing, request a refund through Apple's reportaproblem page or your Play Store order history.
Is Picolo actually free?
It is free to download and one mode is free to play. The rest of the content sits behind a subscription, with tiers up to $45.99 on the US App Store listing plus $3.99 packs. Its reviews most often complain about charges appearing after a trial and about the free pack repeating quickly.
Does Picolo have ads?
No. Picolo is funded by subscriptions and packs rather than advertising, and so is Cold Ones. Some cheaper rivals such as Drink Roulette and Most Likely To do run ads in their free versions.
