# pixiv vs YiCircle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: YiCircle at 100% against pixiv's 43%. YiCircle also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). pixiv's advantage is ratings volume (6.7K vs 6) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. pixiv sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. YiCircle asks for nothing beyond the download.

pixiv holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pixiv has 6.7K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of pixiv's written reviews are positive against 100% of YiCircle's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

pixiv ships an update weekly, YiCircle every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | pixiv | YiCircle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixiv/id337248563/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yicircle/id6756946909/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.7K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 43.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#194** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 362 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [pixiv Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/337248566) | [YICIRCLE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863859695) |

## What reviewers say

### pixiv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixiv/id337248563)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Explore a vast collection of over 160 million illustrations, manga, and novels from Japan's largest creative community. Discover new artists, browse trending content, and share your own creations. Personalize your feed with recommendations based on your preferences.

**Highlights:** Browse illustrations, manga, and novels, Post and share your artwork, Discover recommended and trending works, Search by keywords, tags, and creators, Follow favorite artists, View browsing history (Premium)

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pixiv Premium (no new users) | $4.99 | per month |
| pixiv Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| pixiv Premium | $13.49 | per 3 months |
| pixiv Premium | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| pixiv Premium | $45.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Diverse content
- 💡 Allows for creative expression
- 👍 Friendly community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Concerning content moderation
- 💰 Excessive monetization
- 🚫 Restrictive features behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Blurry thumbnails on iPad
- Inability to copy text
- Pixiv links not opening in-app
- Inconsistent behavior when liking/following

**Requested features**

- Improved search and filtering options
- Ability to save animated images
- Sync bookmarks and settings across devices
- Better support for non-Japanese users


### YiCircle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yicircle/id6756946909)

Discover local events and create spontaneous meetups with people who share your interests. Connect through messaging and calls, and share your experiences by checking into places you visit.

**Highlights:** Discover nearby events, Create custom hangouts, Find people with shared interests, Real-time messaging and calls, Share visited locations, Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is pixiv free?

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

### Is YiCircle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, pixiv or YiCircle?

pixiv is rated higher. pixiv averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while YiCircle averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do pixiv or YiCircle have ads?

pixiv shows ads; YiCircle does not.

### Which is updated more often, pixiv or YiCircle?

pixiv ships an update weekly, and YiCircle every 5 days. Most recently, pixiv was updated on November 6, 2026 and YiCircle on November 5, 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.*