# Patreon vs Swift Alert

Patreon and Swift Alert both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Swift Alert's written reviews are positive against 41% of Patreon's. Swift Alert also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Patreon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ratings volume (581K vs 40K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swift Alert sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Patreon asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Patreon against 4.9 for Swift Alert. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patreon has 581K ratings behind it against 40K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Patreon's written reviews are positive against 81% of Swift Alert's.

Patreon ships an update weekly, Swift Alert every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patreon | Swift Alert |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (581K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patreon/id1044456188/reviews) | **[4.9 (40K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-alert/id6462791583/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **581K** | 40K |
| Positive reviews | 41.1% of reviews | **81.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 133 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patreon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044456187) | [Swift Alert LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703393319) |

## What reviewers say

### Patreon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patreon/id1044456188)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Grossing · Entertainment, #58 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Gain exclusive access to content from your favorite creators, including podcasts, videos, art, and more. Engage with creators and fellow fans in community chats and enjoy offline listening for audio content.

**Highlights:** Exclusive creator content access, Community group chats, Offline audio listening, Personalized fan profiles, Creator work collections

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Podcast Lovers Get This!
- 🚀 Awesome platform for supporting creators
- 💡 Great way to find and support independent artists
- 👍 Worthwhile platform with useful content
- 👍 Able to support small animators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lack of adjustment options
- 🐛 Website is better than app
- 🐛 Notifications don't work
- 🐛 Awful app with poor functionality
- 🐛 Technically it works but cumbersome

**Reported bugs**

- Search function crashes the app
- Inability to access subscriptions on mobile
- Inconsistent episode tracking and playback
- Disappearing downloaded content
- Inability to log in with email

**Requested features**

- Face ID feature
- Ability to filter posts by year
- Playlist/queue functionality for audio/video
- Apple TV app
- Ability to search through subscribed creators' posts


### Swift Alert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-alert/id6462791583)

Stay updated with all things related to a popular artist's tour and music. Get news, concert dates, real-time alerts for livestreams, track surprise songs, and test your knowledge with trivia.

**Highlights:** Fan newsfeed, Concert dates, Real-time livestream alerts, Surprise Song Tracker, Trivia quizzes

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $12.99 | per year |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $17.99 | per year |
| Swift Alert Games Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Become a Swiftie | $0.99 | one-time |
| Become a Swiftie | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Amazing app for Swifties
- 🤩 Incredibly fun and engaging
- 🎉 Excellent way to stay updated on Eras Tour
- 🎮 Enjoyable games and quizzes
- 🔔 Helpful notifications and alerts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Some features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 📱 Layout issues on certain devices
- 🔔 Inconsistent notification reliability

**Reported bugs**

- Mastermind scores not tracking correctly
- Trivia questions not loading properly
- Calendar events not clearing after shows

**Requested features**

- More interactive features (outfit history, song rankings, etc.)
- Ability to edit Mastermind submissions
- Merch/announcement notifications
- Syncing progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patreon free?

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

### Is Swift Alert free?

Swift Alert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Patreon or Swift Alert?

Swift Alert is rated higher. Patreon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 581K ratings, while Swift Alert averages 4.9 from 40K ratings.

### Do Patreon or Swift Alert have ads?

Neither Patreon nor Swift Alert shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Patreon or Swift Alert?

Patreon ships an update weekly, and Swift Alert every 10 days. Most recently, Patreon was updated on November 1, 2026 and Swift Alert on November 1, 2026.

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