# Circle Communities vs JoyProject

The clearest difference is ads: Circle Communities at none against JoyProject's shown. Circle Communities also leads on ratings volume (88K vs 10) and chart position (#74 vs unranked). JoyProject's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.5). On price, rating, update cadence 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Circle Communities against 5.0 for JoyProject. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Circle Communities has 88K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Circle Communities's written reviews are positive against 100% of JoyProject's.

Circle Communities ships an update fortnightly, JoyProject every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Circle Communities | JoyProject |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (88K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-communities/id1509651625/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joyproject-share-and-serve/id6468271294/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **88K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 65.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CircleCo Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509651624) | [JoyProject Holdings, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709684731) |

## What reviewers say

### Circle Communities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-communities/id1509651625)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Stay connected with your online communities on the go. This app lets you participate in discussions, join live streams, and track events for any Circle.so community you're a part of. It's designed for both members and creators to manage their community interactions seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Community discussions, Live stream hosting and joining, Event tracking, On-the-go community management, Message notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤍 Very Clear
- 💫 Great layout and easy to understand
- 👍 Simple and easy to navigate
- 🤸‍♂️ Great community and networking platform
- 🥰 Supportive and helpful community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unstable software with crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Non-intuitive and unintuitive design
- 🔒 Limited admin functionality on mobile
- 🤯 Frustrating text editing and cursor issues
- 🤖 Glitchy video playback and freezing issues

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Disappearing messages and notifications
- Inability to access certain communities
- Malformed data errors and login issues
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to save draft posts and comments
- Improved text editing and cursor control
- Better video playback controls and functionality
- Syncing notifications and activity across devices
- More customization and personalization options


### JoyProject

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joyproject-share-and-serve/id6468271294)

Connect with your local community and help others through a faith-based platform. Discover events, join discussions, offer support, and share items with those in need. Stay connected and spread joy.

**Highlights:** Discover local events, Participate in group discussions, Post needs and offer support, Give away unused items, Manage conversations with inbox

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Circle Communities free?

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

### Is JoyProject free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Circle Communities or JoyProject?

JoyProject is rated higher. Circle Communities averages 4.9 out of 5 from 88K ratings, while JoyProject averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Circle Communities or JoyProject have ads?

JoyProject shows ads; Circle Communities does not.

### Which is updated more often, Circle Communities or JoyProject?

Circle Communities ships an update fortnightly, and JoyProject every 3 weeks. Most recently, Circle Communities was updated on November 7, 2026 and JoyProject on November 3, 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.*