# Sideshow Social Network vs Gather Communities

Sideshow Social Network and Gather Communities both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 96% of Gather Communities's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sideshow Social Network's. Gather Communities also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Sideshow Social Network's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gather Communities sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $30.00 per year. Sideshow Social Network asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sideshow Social Network against 4.7 for Gather Communities. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 148 and 201 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of Sideshow Social Network's written reviews are positive against 96% of Gather Communities's.

Sideshow Social Network ships an update every 2 months, Gather Communities every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sideshow Social Network | Gather Communities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideshow-social-network/id1666518137/reviews)** | [4.7 (201 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-communities/id6755895359/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 148 | **201** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **95.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 85 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sideshow Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648787478) | [GCS Publishing, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/411738508) |

## What reviewers say

### Sideshow Social Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideshow-social-network/id1666518137)

Connect with fellow enthusiasts of pop culture and collectible brands. Share your collection, join discussions, and access exclusive behind-the-scenes content and live events. Stay informed about the latest releases and engage with a passionate community.

**Highlights:** Pop culture community, Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Live event access, Collection sharing, Fan discussions, Latest release updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Gather Communities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-communities/id6755895359)

Consolidate all your online communities into a single, streamlined application. Browse, post, and follow discussions across multiple platforms with one account. Easily create and manage your own community spaces without technical hurdles.

**Highlights:** Unified community access, Browse, post, and follow discussions, Single account for all communities, Easy community creation, Privacy-focused design, No algorithms or data harvesting

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bronze Membership | $30.00 | per year |
| Silver Membership | $60.00 | per year |
| Gold Membership | $119.99 | per year |
| Platinum Membership | $200.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sideshow Social Network free?

Sideshow Social Network is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Gather Communities free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sideshow Social Network or Gather Communities?

Sideshow Social Network is rated higher. Sideshow Social Network averages 4.7 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while Gather Communities averages 4.7 from 201 ratings.

### Do Sideshow Social Network or Gather Communities have ads?

Neither Sideshow Social Network nor Gather Communities shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sideshow Social Network or Gather Communities?

Sideshow Social Network ships an update every 2 months, and Gather Communities every 2 days. Most recently, Sideshow Social Network was updated on October 24, 2026 and Gather Communities on October 28, 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.*