# Buffer vs Kickstarter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kickstarter at none against Buffer's 12. Buffer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Kickstarter asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Buffer against 4.8 for Kickstarter. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35K and 59K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 33% of Kickstarter's.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Kickstarter every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Kickstarter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 35K | **59K** |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 32.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#114** | #138 |
| Size | 154 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Kickstarter, PBC](https://appshunter.io/developer/596961535) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324)

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #198 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Streamline your social media presence by planning, scheduling, and publishing content across multiple platforms from one app. Engage with your audience and track performance with insightful analytics. Ideal for creators looking to grow their online presence efficiently.

**Highlights:** Cross-platform posting, Content scheduling, Idea organization, Performance analytics, Calendar view, Apple Watch app

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials - 1 Channel | $5.99 | per month |
| Essentials+Team: 1 Channel | $11.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 2 Channels | $11.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Month | $14.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 3 Channels | $17.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 4 Channels | $23.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 5 Channels | $29.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 6 Channels | $35.99 | per month |
| Small Business | $99.99 | per month |
| Small Business for 1 Month | $99.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Year | $144.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Easy to use
- 🕰️ Convenient scheduling
- 🔍 Helpful for social media management
- 🤖 Automated posting
- 📈 Improved engagement and growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and bugs
- 🔗 Unreliable platform integrations
- 📸 Limited image/video handling capabilities
- 🔒 Frustrating login/authentication problems
- 💰 Expensive paid plans

**Reported bugs**

- Drafts not registering in visual calendar
- Inability to reorder scheduled posts
- Inconsistent behavior between mobile and desktop versions
- Automatic posting not working as expected
- Issues with image/video quality and formatting

**Requested features**

- Add support for Twitter threads
- Improve visual planning and calendar view
- Integrate with more platforms like Slack and Discord
- Allow more customization and control over posts
- Provide better analytics and performance insights


### Kickstarter

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

**Currently charting:** #138 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 Buffer free?

Buffer 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, Buffer or Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Kickstarter averages 4.8 from 59K ratings.

### Do Buffer or Kickstarter have ads?

Kickstarter shows ads; Buffer does not.

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

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Kickstarter every 4 weeks. Most recently, Buffer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Kickstarter on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Buffer or Kickstarter?

Buffer currently peaks at #114 in the App Store charts, and Kickstarter at #138. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*