Comparison

MicroVentures vs StartEngine

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

Head to head
About

MicroVentures

Invest in startups through an equity crowdfunding platform. Access venture capital opportunities for both accredited and non-accredited investors. Over $200M has been raised on the platform.

Highlights
  • Equity crowdfunding
  • Invest in startups
  • Venture capital access
  • Accredited investor access
  • Non-accredited investor access
Features
Read full description

MicroVentures is an equity crowdfunding investment platform, combining the best of venture capital with equity crowdfunding. With over $200M raised on the platform to date, MicroVentures gives both accredited and non-accredited investors access to invest in startups.

About

StartEngine

Invest in private companies and pre-IPO shares. Access deals previously exclusive to venture capitalists and institutions. Track your portfolio, connect with founders, and explore diverse startup opportunities.

Highlights
  • Invest in private companies
  • Trade pre-IPO shares
  • Equity crowdfunding
  • Portfolio tracking
  • Connect with founders
  • Browse startup deals
Features
Read full description

Invest in private markets and pre-IPO companies through StartEngine — the platform where everyday investors access deals once reserved for venture capitalists and institutions. BUY & SELL PRE-IPO SHARES Trade shares of private companies on StartEngine's secondary marketplace. Build your position or get liquidity without waiting for an IPO. INVEST IN STARTUPS Back early-stage companies across 30+ sectors — from artificial intelligence to clean energy. Become a shareholder in startups you believe in through SEC-regulated equity crowdfunding. BUILD YOUR PRIVATE MARKET PORTFOLIO Track pre-IPO positions, secondary market trades, and crowdfunding investments in one portfolio dashboard. Follow every company you've backed in real time. JOIN A COMMUNITY OF PRIVATE MARKET INVESTORS Connect with over a million investors and founders. Ask founders questions directly, follow company updates, and stay informed as your investments develop. With the StartEngine app you can: - Browse pre-IPO companies and secondary market listings - Buy and sell shares in private companies - Invest in startup equity crowdfunding campaigns - View SEC filings, team details, and company updates - Follow companies and track campaign milestones - Monitor your full investment portfolio in one place "StartEngine" refers to StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc. StartEngine operates 4 wholly owned subsidiaries, StartEngine Capital, LLC, StartEngine Primary, LLC, StartEngine Secure, LLC, and StartEngine Assets, LLC. Unless otherwise indicated, Regulation Crowdfunding offerings are offered through StartEngine Capital LLC, an SEC-registered funding portal and FINRA member; brokerage services, including Regulation A+ offerings, Regulation CF offerings, Regulation D offerings, brokerage accounts, and securities trading through StartEngine Secondary (a SEC-regulated alternative trading system, operated by StartEngine Primary, LLC), are offered through StartEngine Primary, LLC, a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and FINRA/SIPC; and transfer agent services are offered through StartEngine Secure, LLC, an SEC registered transfer agent. StartEngine Assets LLC is an asset manager for StartEngine Collectibles Fund I LLC which offers Regulation A+ offerings in collectibles (e.g., fine art, wine) through the StartEngine platform. Raise amount includes $760M in funds raised as of May 9, 2023 via Reg. CF and Reg. A+ combined through StartEngine's funding portal and broker dealer, StartEngine Capital, LLC and StartEngine Primary, LLC respectively, as well as StartEngine's own raises. Also includes $470M in funds raised previously through offerings conducted on www.seedinvest.com outside of the StartEngine platform. In May 2023, StartEngine acquired assets of SeedInvest, including email lists for SeedInvest's users, investors and founders seeking to raise funds. User count of 1.8 million is determined as the number of unique email addresses in StartEngine's database as of 10-6-2023.

Screenshots

MicroVentures4 screens
StartEngine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StartEngine at 4.8 against MicroVentures's 3.0. StartEngine also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 13%) and ratings volume (7K vs 2). MicroVentures's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StartEngine holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StartEngine has 7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of MicroVentures's written reviews are positive against 50% of StartEngine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MicroVentures ships an update every 3 weeks, StartEngine weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MicroVentures versus StartEngine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMicroVenturesStartEngine
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.8 (7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.5% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB132 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMicroVenturesStartEngine

Customer experience

MicroVentures

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative75.0%

StartEngine

All ratings7,013 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.0%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews150 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral6.0%
Negative44.0%

Bugs and requests

MicroVentures

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

StartEngine

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on login and startup
  • Inability to access existing accounts
  • Support features not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved app stability and performance
  • Better communication and updates from companies
  • Easier withdrawal and liquidity options
  • More detailed financial reporting

In-app purchases

None

MicroVentures

No in-app purchases

None

StartEngine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MicroVentures free?
MicroVentures is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StartEngine free?
StartEngine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MicroVentures or StartEngine?
StartEngine is rated higher. MicroVentures averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while StartEngine averages 4.8 from 7K ratings.
Do MicroVentures or StartEngine have ads?
StartEngine shows ads; MicroVentures does not.
Which is updated more often, MicroVentures or StartEngine?
MicroVentures ships an update every 3 weeks, and StartEngine weekly. Most recently, MicroVentures was updated on October 26, 2026 and StartEngine on October 30, 2026.

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