# Spread vs Column Social

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spread at none against Column Social's 10. Spread also leads on ads (none vs shown). Column Social's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Column Social sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month. Spread asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spread ships an update fortnightly, Column Social every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spread | Column Social |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spread-the-human-internet/id6446067188/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **56** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 43 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Spread Social, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1675772787) | [Column Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605214840) |

## What reviewers say

### Spread

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spread-the-human-internet/id6446067188)

Access exclusive content from top publications by proving you're human. Follow influential individuals to discover their curated reading, listening, and watching lists. Share access to content with friends and followers.

**Highlights:** Human verification for content access, Follow journalists and thinkers, Discover curated reading lists, Share access with others, Spread content from any app

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Column Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/column-social/id6502400180)

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medical Insights Hub | $1.00 | per month |
| Design Inspiration | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Water | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Concrete | $1.00 | per month |
| Studio Visit | $1.00 | per month |
| Future of Katerva | $1.00 | per month |
| Oceans & Reefs | $1.00 | per month |
| Fun Learning | $5.00 | per month |
| Market Megatrends | $5.00 | per month |
| Eternal September | $19.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spread free?

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

### Is Column Social free?

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

### Do Spread or Column Social have ads?

Column Social shows ads; Spread does not.

### Which is updated more often, Spread or Column Social?

Spread ships an update fortnightly, and Column Social every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spread was updated on November 3, 2026 and Column Social on November 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*