# Letterboxd vs Insta

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 (#17 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 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.

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.

Letterboxd ships an update fortnightly, Insta every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Letterboxd | Insta |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (88K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterboxd/id1054271011/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insta-jam/id6744486292/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **88K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 135 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Letterboxd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1054271010) | [Ethan Waters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1578339744) |

## What reviewers say

### Letterboxd

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

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Free · Social Networking, #51 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


### Insta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insta-jam/id6744486292)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Headliner Subscription | $2.79 | per 7 days |
| Opener Weekly Subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Rockstar Subscription | $3.49 | per 7 days |
| Opener Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Headliner Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Rockstar Subscription | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked 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 18, 2026 and Insta on October 10, 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.*