# Patreon vs ESConnect

The clearest difference is chart position: Patreon at #29 against ESConnect's unranked. ESConnect's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Patreon ships an update weekly, ESConnect every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Patreon | ESConnect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (579K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patreon/id1044456188/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **579K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 41.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 135 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patreon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044456187) | [GoSport SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600693584) |

## What reviewers say

### Patreon

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

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Grossing · Entertainment, #51 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


### ESConnect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esconnect/id6744917277)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Patreon free?

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

### Is ESConnect free?

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

### Do Patreon or ESConnect have ads?

Neither Patreon nor ESConnect shows ads.

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

Patreon ships an update weekly, and ESConnect every 10 days. Most recently, Patreon was updated on October 19, 2026 and ESConnect on October 9, 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.*