# Pixelfed vs GoldVine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixelfed at none against GoldVine's 10. Pixelfed also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GoldVine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Pixelfed asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pixelfed ships an update every 4 weeks, GoldVine every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixelfed | GoldVine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (560 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfed/id1632519816/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **560** | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Supernault](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632519818) | [Garnet Thomas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719885410) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixelfed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelfed/id1632519816)

Share your photography with a community that values creativity, authenticity, and privacy. This app offers an ethical alternative to mainstream social media, giving users control over their content and data.

**Highlights:** Ad-free photo sharing, Privacy-focused, User content control, Authentic community, Ethical social media alternative

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 Decentralized and privacy-focused
- 👍 Clean, simple, and familiar interface
- 👍 Chronological feed without algorithms
- 👍 Ad-free experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy performance
- 🐛 Inability to edit bio and profile
- 🐛 Inconsistent slideshow and media handling
- 🐛 Slow server response times
- 🐛 Logging out issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to post photos or send DMs
- Inconsistent heart/like behavior
- Crashes and freezes on app launch
- Incompatibility with certain servers

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Video support
- Improved collections/albums management
- Seamless onboarding and server selection
- Better notifications and interaction tracking


### GoldVine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goldvine/id6654927853)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MagicGrow - 10 | $7.99 | per month |
| MagicGrow - 20 | $13.99 | per month |
| MagicGrow - 40 | $23.99 | per month |
| MagicGrow - 80 | $41.99 | per month |
| GoldBoost - 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| GoldBoost - 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| GoldBoost - 8 | $6.99 | one-time |
| GoldBoost - 16 | $11.99 | one-time |
| GoldBoost - 32 | $19.99 | one-time |
| GoldBoost - 64 | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixelfed free?

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

### Is GoldVine free?

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

### Do Pixelfed or GoldVine have ads?

GoldVine shows ads; Pixelfed does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixelfed or GoldVine?

Pixelfed ships an update every 4 weeks, and GoldVine every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pixelfed was updated on November 3, 2026 and GoldVine on November 4, 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.*