Comparison

Letterboxd vs Insta

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Letterboxd

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
Read full description

Letterboxd for iOS puts the popular social network for film lovers on your iPhone or iPad, so you can log films and catch up on your friends’ activity with ease. Sign in with your existing account (or create one for free) to enjoy our native app interface. These features of the web experience are supported, with more to come: – Sign in (with 1Password support) or create an account – Browse popular, highly rated and most anticipated films (including our official list of the Top 250 Narrative Features) – Log films with date, rating, review and tags – View film info (including cast & crew, popular lists and reviews) and rate, like, watchlist or mark as watched – View (and filter) your activity feed – Read and comment on reviews and lists – Create and edit lists – View member profiles including films, reviews, diary entries, tags, stats and more – Follow members to see their activity in your feed – Filter and sort collections of films based on specific criteria – Search for films, content and people – Edit your profile settings Our app offers account upgrades: – Upgrade to 1 Year of Letterboxd Pro or Patron – Pro tier adds annual and all-time stats pages based on your account activity, advanced activity and streaming service filters (including the option to pick and filter by the streaming services you subscribe to, powered by JustWatch.com), list cloning and removes third-party ads. – Patron tier provides all the benefits of Pro, plus the option to customize film posters, backdrops on your profile and content (if available), additional stats, a listing in the Patrons directory on our website and early access to new features. – Payment is charged to your iTunes Account when you confirm purchase and your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renewal is disabled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be charged for a renewal up to 24 hours before the end of each current period, at the same annual fee. – You can manage your subscription and disable auto-renewals in the App Store app following purchase. – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription to that publication, where applicable Our terms of use are always available at: https://letterboxd.com/legal/terms-of-use/ We welcome your feedback regarding Letterboxd for iOS. Please email us: hello@letterboxd.com

About

Insta

Connect with local musicians to form bands, find practice partners, or discover performance venues. Create a profile, showcase your skills, and manage events with integrated messaging and RSVP features.

Highlights
  • Discover nearby musicians
  • Host and manage jam sessions
  • Curated venue discovery
  • Direct and group messaging
  • RSVP system
  • Profile customization
  • Location-based matching
Features
Read full description

Insta-Jam helps musicians connect in real life — and find places to play. Whether you're looking to start a band, host a jam session, find a practice partner, collaborate on new ideas, or discover performance venues, Insta-Jam makes it easy to connect with musicians near you and find booking opportunities. Create your profile, showcase your instruments and genres, and set your goals. Browse nearby musicians based on location and skill level. Host events, manage RSVPs, and start group chats with approved members. Discover curated venues each week with booking info and contact details. Key Features: • Discover nearby musicians • Host and manage jam sessions • Curated venue discovery with booking information • Real-time direct and group messaging • RSVP system with approval controls • Profile customization with instruments, genres, and goals • Location-based matching • Music platform links (Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and more) • Push notifications for messages and event updates • Privacy controls and account management Premium Features: • Opener: Up to 5 curated venues weekly, host up to 10 events/month, unlimited messaging, ad-free • Headliner: Up to 15 curated venues weekly, unlimited events • Rockstar: Full venue browsing, advanced filtering, unlimited everything Whether you're a beginner looking to learn or an experienced player building your next project, InstaJ-am helps you connect, play, and perform. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Letterboxd4 screens
Insta4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Insta at 100% against Letterboxd's 59%. Insta also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Letterboxd's advantage is ratings volume (88K vs 1) and chart position (#20 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Letterboxd sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per year and Insta sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.79 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Insta holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Letterboxd has 88K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Letterboxd's written reviews are positive against 100% of Insta's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Letterboxd ships an update fortnightly, Insta every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Letterboxd versus Insta: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLetterboxdInsta
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (88K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings88K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#20 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.5 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB28 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperLetterboxdEthan Waters

Customer experience

Letterboxd

All ratings88,309 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews1,972 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral12.4%
Negative28.2%

Insta

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Letterboxd

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Insta

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Letterboxd

Subscriptions2
  • Letterboxd Pro (1 Year)$18.991 Year
  • Letterboxd Patron (1 Year)$48.991 Year
One-time9
  • Video Store Rental2 variants$3.99
  • Video Store Rental$4.99
  • Video Store Rental$5.99
Show 6 more
  • Video Store Rental$6.99
  • Video Store Rental$7.99
  • Video Store Rental$8.99
  • Video Store Rental$9.99
  • Video Store Rental$14.99
  • Video Store Rental2 variants$19.99
6 purchases

Insta

Subscriptions6
  • Weekly Headliner Subscription$2.797 Days
  • Opener Weekly Subscription$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Rockstar Subscription$3.497 Days
Show 3 more
  • Opener Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Monthly Headliner Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Monthly Rockstar Subscription$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Letterboxd free?
Letterboxd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Insta free?
Insta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Letterboxd or Insta?
Insta is rated higher. Letterboxd averages 4.8 out of 5 from 88K ratings, while Insta averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Letterboxd or Insta have ads?
Letterboxd shows ads; Insta does not.
Which is updated more often, Letterboxd or Insta?
Letterboxd ships an update fortnightly, and Insta every 4 days. Most recently, Letterboxd was updated on October 4, 2026 and Insta on September 24, 2026.

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