# Patreon vs Passes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Patreon at none against Passes's 4. Patreon also leads on ratings volume (578K vs 596) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Passes sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Patreon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Patreon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patreon has 578K ratings behind it against 596, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Patreon's written reviews are positive against 45% of Passes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patreon | Passes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (578K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patreon/id1044456188/reviews)** | [4.6 (596 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passes/id6736365906/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **578K** | 596 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **45.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 134 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Patreon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044456187) | [Passes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763020253) |

## What reviewers say

### Patreon

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

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Grossing · Entertainment, #45 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


### Passes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passes/id6736365906)

Connect directly with your favorite creators through exclusive content, one-on-one chats, and personalized experiences. Discover creators across various interests, support them by purchasing merchandise, and enjoy secure, private interactions.

**Highlights:** One-on-one creator conversations, Exclusive content access, Livestreams, Limited edition merchandise, Personalized fan experiences, Anti-screenshot technology

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $5 Credit | $7.99 | one-time |
| $10 Credit | $14.99 | one-time |
| $20 Credit | $29.99 | one-time |
| $55 Credit | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 🤩 Excellent content from creators
- 💻 Seamless integration with website

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- 📺 Poor video and image quality
- 💬 Unreliable messaging and notifications
- 🔍 Limited features compared to website

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not playing consistently
- Messages not updating correctly
- Inability to view high-quality media

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust media quality
- Voice messaging for creators
- Improved notification system
- More feature parity with website


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patreon free?

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

### Is Passes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Patreon or Passes?

Patreon is rated higher. Patreon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 578K ratings, while Passes averages 4.6 from 596 ratings.

### Do Patreon or Passes have ads?

Neither Patreon nor Passes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Patreon or Passes?

Patreon ships an update weekly, and Passes weekly. Most recently, Patreon was updated on October 2, 2026 and Passes on October 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.*