# 知识星球 vs DIRECT

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DIRECT at none against 知识星球's 10. DIRECT also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). 知识星球's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 29 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 知识星球 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. DIRECT asks for nothing beyond the download.

知识星球 ships an update every 9 days, DIRECT every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 知识星球 | DIRECT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1039749242/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 149 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +17 | 4+ |
| Developer | [ShenZhen DaChengTianXia Information Technology Co., LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/520764408) | [China-HongKong Telecom Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/515220969) |

## What reviewers say

### 知识星球

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1039749242)

This app enables users to create and manage private online communities for sharing content like articles, photos, and files. It facilitates easy member invitations and provides robust search functionality within groups. Ideal for fostering focused discussions and knowledge sharing among dedicated followers.

**Highlights:** Create topic-based groups, Invite members via quick link, Post articles, photos, files, URLs, Comment on posts, Search group content by keyword

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10个星球币 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 6 个星球币 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 50个星球币 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 68 个星球币 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 100个星球币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 168个星球币 | $24.99 | one-time |
| 188 个星球币 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 200个星球币 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 368 个星球币 | $49.99 | one-time |
| 518 个星球币 | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Informative content
- 💡 Interesting concept
- 👍 Useful for content creators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Lack of security and user protection
- 💰 Overpriced with poor value
- 👥 Difficult to use and navigate
- 🚫 Censorship and content restrictions

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to join or access certain content
- Push notifications not working as expected
- Audio/video playback issues
- Login and registration problems
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add mobile number login option
- Improve search and discovery of content
- Implement refund and customer support system
- Provide dark mode for better readability
- Allow users to block/mute unwanted content


### DIRECT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/direct-tx/id1159834066)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 知识星球 free?

知识星球 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DIRECT free?

DIRECT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do 知识星球 or DIRECT have ads?

Neither 知识星球 nor DIRECT shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 知识星球 or DIRECT?

知识星球 ships an update every 9 days, and DIRECT every 29 months. Most recently, 知识星球 was updated on November 2, 2026 and DIRECT on October 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*