# Kickstarter vs Locals.com

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kickstarter at none against Locals.com's 12. Locals.com's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (53% vs 33%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Locals.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Kickstarter asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Kickstarter against 4.7 for Locals.com. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 59K and 42K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Kickstarter's written reviews are positive against 53% of Locals.com's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kickstarter | Locals.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kickstarter-projects-you-love/id596961532/reviews)** | [4.7 (42K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/localscom/id1511032007/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **59K** | 42K |
| Positive reviews | 32.5% of reviews | **52.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #193 | **#134** |
| Size | 129 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kickstarter, PBC](https://appshunter.io/developer/596961535) | [Locals Technology Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768300702) |

## What reviewers say

### Kickstarter

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

**Currently charting:** #193 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


### Locals.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/localscom/id1511032007)

**Currently charting:** #134 Top Grossing · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect directly with creators and communities you admire. This platform prioritizes user control and creator ownership, offering features like live streaming, community feeds, and content libraries. Support creators independently without algorithmic interference.

**Highlights:** Direct creator support, Algorithm-free content feeds, Creator data ownership, Live streaming with chat, Community feeds and posts, Content libraries (video/audio)

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly: 50 coins + 20 bonus | $7.99 | per month |
| 20 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 50 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 100 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 100 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 150 Coins | $14.99 | one-time |
| 200 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 210 Coins | $20.99 | one-time |
| 300 Coins | $29.99 | one-time |
| 360 Coins | $35.99 | one-time |
| 500 Coins | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Real news and uncensored content
- 🙌 Freedom of speech and expression
- 🔒 Secure and censorship-free platform
- 💡 Innovative community-driven model
- 🚀 Steadily improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with technical issues
- 🤔 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔍 Limited search and discovery features
- 🔇 Inconsistent audio/video playback

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Disappearing notifications
- Orientation issues on iPad
- Inconsistent audio/video sync
- Unreliable live stream playback

**Requested features**

- Download option for offline viewing
- Better nested comments and community management
- Improved integration with Rumble platform
- Customizable notification settings
- Picture-in-picture mode for video playback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kickstarter free?

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

### Is Locals.com free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Kickstarter or Locals.com?

Kickstarter is rated higher. Kickstarter averages 4.8 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while Locals.com averages 4.7 from 42K ratings.

### Do Kickstarter or Locals.com have ads?

Kickstarter shows ads; Locals.com does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kickstarter or Locals.com?

Kickstarter ships an update every 4 weeks, and Locals.com every 4 weeks. Most recently, Kickstarter was updated on November 2, 2026 and Locals.com on November 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Kickstarter or Locals.com?

Kickstarter currently peaks at #193 in the App Store charts, and Locals.com at #134. 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.*