# Circles vs Pinstop

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Circles at none against Pinstop's 1. Circles also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17). Pinstop's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pinstop sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Circles asks for nothing beyond the download.

Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, Pinstop every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Circles | Pinstop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-mini-social-network/id1619588170/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Magnus Sveinbjornsson](https://appshunter.io/developer/939154025) | [Ana Ibrahim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741903166) |

## What reviewers say

### Circles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-mini-social-network/id1619588170)

A private social network designed for close-knit groups like families or teams. It offers a secure space for interaction with features like posts, comments, and custom avatars, free from ads and data selling.

**Highlights:** Private group interaction, Posts and threaded comments, Custom avatar creator, Member lists, Email invitations, Ad-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pinstop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinstop/id6748887247)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pinstop Verified | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Circles free?

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

### Is Pinstop free?

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

### Do Circles or Pinstop have ads?

Neither Circles nor Pinstop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Circles or Pinstop?

Circles ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pinstop every 11 days. Most recently, Circles was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pinstop on October 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*