# Tapatalk vs Kickstarter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kickstarter at none against Tapatalk's 10. Kickstarter also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and chart position (#198 vs unranked). Tapatalk's advantage is review sentiment (49% vs 32%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tapatalk sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Kickstarter asks for nothing beyond the download.

Kickstarter holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16K and 60K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Tapatalk's written reviews are positive against 32% of Kickstarter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Tapatalk ships an update every 2 weeks, Kickstarter every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tapatalk | Kickstarter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapatalk-200000-plus-forums/id307880732/reviews) | **[4.8 (60K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16K | **60K** |
| Positive reviews | **49.4% of reviews** | 32.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#198** |
| Size | 122 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Everforo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509209143) | [Kickstarter, PBC](https://appshunter.io/developer/596961535) |

## What reviewers say

### Tapatalk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapatalk-200000-plus-forums/id307880732)

Access and participate in over 200,000 online forums worldwide. Share photos and videos easily, and receive instant notifications. This app transforms how you engage with online communities on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Access 200,000+ online forums, Unlimited photo and video sharing, Instant push notifications, Easy posting, Mobile forum interaction

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.49 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Annual) | $4.99 | per year |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Yearly) | $4.99 | per year |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Annual) | $9.99 | per year |
| 1-month VIP pass | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tapatalk VIP Access (Lifetime) | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient forum access
- 📚 Wide range of supported forums
- 🗓️ Helpful for keeping track of forum activity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Aggressive and intrusive advertising
- 🤯 Confusing and constantly changing UI
- 🔒 Login and permission issues

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to access password-protected forums
- Duplicate/missing post notifications
- Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions
- Broken 'like' and 'quote' functionality

**Requested features**

- Ability to start new threads
- More customization options
- Improved notification system
- Better support for image/media uploads
- Seamless integration with forum websites


### Kickstarter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Explore and support innovative projects across various creative fields. Discover groundbreaking ideas in games, technology, art, and more. Pledge to projects that inspire you and stay updated on their progress.

**Highlights:** Discover creative projects globally, Pledge to projects, Receive project updates, Track backings, Join a global creative community

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Handy tracker for backed projects
- 👍 Great app and great service
- 🚀 Bypass the traditional economy!
- 👍 Very nice
- 👍 Excellent

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Works well enough unless you support a lot of projects
- 🐛 App is very buggy
- 🔒 Scammers Paradise
- 🔒 Don't fall into the trap
- 🔒 platform setup to scam you

**Reported bugs**

- Explore tab broken in latest update
- Notifications not working correctly
- Activity feed not updating
- Issues with submitting surveys through the app
- Clunky UI, especially when updating pledges

**Requested features**

- Allow filtering backed projects by status (received, active, closed)
- Ability to follow creators directly in the app
- Improve comments section (threading, search, etc.)
- Add an archive/delete function for completed/cancelled projects
- Introduce a read/unread project status


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tapatalk free?

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

### Is Kickstarter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Tapatalk or Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is rated higher. Tapatalk averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Kickstarter averages 4.8 from 60K ratings.

### Do Tapatalk or Kickstarter have ads?

Both Tapatalk and Kickstarter show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tapatalk or Kickstarter?

Tapatalk ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kickstarter every 4 weeks. Most recently, Tapatalk was updated on November 10, 2026 and Kickstarter on November 10, 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.*