# Joinstar vs Circles

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Joinstar at none against Circles's 8. Joinstar also leads on ads (none vs shown). Circles's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (11 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Circles sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Joinstar asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Joinstar against 4.9 for Circles. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 11 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Joinstar ships an update every 6 weeks, Circles weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Joinstar | Circles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joinstar/id1641191706/reviews)** | [4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-verified-communities/id1670176496/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 70 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joinstar LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641191867) | [Rene Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728485042) |

## What reviewers say

### Joinstar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joinstar/id1641191706)

Discover and connect with people in your network who are traveling to the same destinations or live in places you're visiting. Never miss an opportunity to meet up with friends again.

**Highlights:** Connect with people traveling to same places, Find friends visiting your hometown, Discover people living where you travel, Never miss meetups with friends

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Circles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-verified-communities/id1670176496)

Connect with others based on verified affiliations and interests. Discover AI friends and human connections within shared "Circles." Organize and join hangouts with people who share your passions.

**Highlights:** AI-powered social networking, Verify affiliations for connections, Discover people and AI friends, Post and request to attend hangouts, Create and join interest-based Circles

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Join Unlimited Circles | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Join Unlimited Private Circles | $2.99 | per month |
| Join Unlimited Private Circles | $2.99 | per month |
| Access Premium Badged Circles | $5.99 | per month |
| Access Unlimited Private Circles | $9.99 | per month |
| Join Unlimited Private Circles | $9.99 | per month |
| Join Unlimited Private Circles | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Joinstar free?

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

### Is Circles free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Joinstar or Circles?

Joinstar is rated higher. Joinstar averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Circles averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.

### Do Joinstar or Circles have ads?

Circles shows ads; Joinstar does not.

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

Joinstar ships an update every 6 weeks, and Circles weekly. Most recently, Joinstar was updated on September 16, 2026 and Circles on September 15, 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.*