# Letterboxd vs Flare

Letterboxd and Flare both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 96% of Flare's written reviews are positive against 59% of Letterboxd's. Flare also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 16) and ads (none vs shown). Letterboxd's advantage is ratings volume (88K vs 6.3K). On price, rating, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Letterboxd sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per year. Flare asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Letterboxd against 4.9 for Flare. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Letterboxd has 88K ratings behind it against 6.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Letterboxd's written reviews are positive against 96% of Flare's.

Letterboxd ships an update fortnightly, Flare every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Letterboxd | Flare |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (88K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterboxd/id1054271011/reviews) | **[4.9 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flare-for-groups/id1086013687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **88K** | 6.3K |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | **96.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | #39 |
| Size | 135 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Letterboxd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1054271010) | [Flare App, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641431506) |

## What reviewers say

### Letterboxd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterboxd/id1054271011)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Free · Social Networking, #58 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

This social networking app allows film enthusiasts to log movies, write reviews, and discover new films. Users can track their viewing history, follow friends' activities, and create custom film lists. Premium features offer advanced stats and streaming service filters.

**Highlights:** Log films with ratings and reviews, Browse popular and highly-rated films, Create and edit custom film lists, Follow friends and view their activity, Track viewing history and stats, Discover films via streaming service filters (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Letterboxd Pro (1 Year) | $18.99 | per year |
| Letterboxd Patron (1 Year) | $48.99 | per year |
| Video Store Rental | $3.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $4.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $5.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $6.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $7.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $8.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $9.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $14.99 | one-time |
| Video Store Rental | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for movie lovers
- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 💡 Useful features like movie logging and reviews
- 👍 Helpful community and social aspects
- 👍 Comprehensive movie database

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Logging out issues
- 🐛 Rendering and UI glitches
- 🔋 Audio playback issues with ads
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with user tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save or edit reviews
- Search and navigation issues
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between app and website
- Syncing and data loss problems when switching devices

**Requested features**

- Add TV show support
- Improve social features like notifications and commenting
- Implement offline functionality
- Add more customization options
- Introduce a cheaper tier for basic features


### Flare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flare-for-groups/id1086013687)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

This app streamlines group management by consolidating communication, event planning, and engagement tools. It offers features like group chats, event RSVPs, attendance tracking, photo albums, and payment collection, making it ideal for various organizations.

**Highlights:** Group chats and announcements, Event creation and attendance tracking, Photo albums and highlights, Polls and points system, Ticket sales and payment collection, File sharing and roster management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient communication
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Organized and user-friendly
- 🎨 Great features like photo albums and calendars
- 💪 Comprehensive for large groups

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional technical issues with notifications and loading
- 🔒 Strict privacy settings can be limiting
- 💻 Lack of desktop/web version

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not always working properly
- Difficulty removing screenshots and photos

**Requested features**

- Ability to remove albums and events
- More customization options for admins
- Integration with personal calendars


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Letterboxd free?

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

### Is Flare free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Letterboxd or Flare?

Flare is rated higher. Letterboxd averages 4.8 out of 5 from 88K ratings, while Flare averages 4.9 from 6.3K ratings.

### Do Letterboxd or Flare have ads?

Letterboxd shows ads; Flare does not.

### Which is updated more often, Letterboxd or Flare?

Letterboxd ships an update fortnightly, and Flare every 2 days. Most recently, Letterboxd was updated on September 25, 2026 and Flare on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Letterboxd or Flare?

Letterboxd currently peaks at #27 in the App Store charts, and Flare at #39. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*