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Gainsty alternative: how Kicksta compares

Looking for the right Gainsty alternative? We tested Gainsty hands-on and read its terms, pricing and Trustpilot reviews. Here's where it falls short, and how Kicksta answers each problem.

Start your 7-day free trial

Follower quality

Its terms say it can't protect you from spam, fake or inactive followers

Real, engaged followers

Competitor targeting

Among its targeting features; its Turbo plan names it

Included on the Growth Plan

Free trial

7-day free trial; reviewers report charges during it

7-day free trial on monthly and quarterly plans

What Gainsty is

Gainsty is an Instagram growth service run by its team and AI, with two plans: Upgrade and Turbo. Its pricing page bills $177 or $237 every 4 months by default, and Turbo adds a dedicated account manager.

What it says it does

Says it targets the most active followers of your competitors.
Says its team reviews your profile by hand to plan your growth.

What unhappy customers say on Trustpilot

“Gainsty advertises growth of 700 to 1,700 followers per month, but in reality, we consistently receive only around 200 followers. This has been the case for years, despite paying for a relatively expensive monthly subscription. To make matters worse, Gainsty completely ignores our messages and complaints. We have contacted them multiple times, but they simply do not respond. The actual results are nowhere near what is being advertised, and the complete lack of communication makes the situation even more disappointing.”
Yannick ZZon Trustpilot, October 18, 2026
“To get free trial they ask for bank details”
Mr Manpreeton Trustpilot, April 6, 2025
“Horrible. So they sent me an email about their promotion "improve your followers number and engagement - With a few tweaks to your interactions and visibility, you could reach even more people." I've sign up for a free trial and 1 day after I was following and interacting with 100+ accounts... Keep away from this if you want actual followers or some sort of social traction to your Ig account Edit: this company does more work in trying to delete my review than actually providing the service they claimed to do”
Dirty Vinoon Trustpilot, July 13, 2025

Where Gainsty falls short

With Gainsty

Compared with Kicksta

Its terms say it can't protect you from spam, fake or inactive followers.

With KickstaReal people who chose to follow you

Reviewers say growth fell short of the range it advertises.

With KickstaFollowers from the accounts and hashtags you choose

Its pricing page lists boosted engagement, without saying how.

With KickstaKeeps your new followers engaged

Gainsty reviews: why people leave

What people complain about most in Gainsty's Trustpilot reviews.

Billing and cancelling8 of the 21 complaints we collected
How it's marketed6 of the 21 complaints we collected

“This is not the way people. No obvious scam, but scam nevertheless…. Don’t buy this…”
Single Pilot · Trustpilot · August 27, 2026
Support3 of the 21 complaints we collected

19% raise other problems

Quotes are word for word from public reviews.

Is Gainsty safe and legit?

Gainsty is a real company that sells Instagram growth plans. Two things to weigh before you pay.

It isn't to blame if your account is banned, for any reason.In its own terms
Reviewers report misleading marketing and support problems most.In its Trustpilot reviews

Gainsty pricing vs Kicksta pricing

What each plan costs, the way each one bills by default, and what's included.

Billed every 4 months

Quarterly

$177/4 months

Upgrade

Price checked October 30, 2026

Its terms say pausing an account doesn't stop the charges.

Free trial7-day free trial; reviewers report charges during it

Competitor targetingAmong its targeting features; its Turbo plan names it

Profile reviewIts team reviews your profile by hand

Ways to payMonthly or every 4 months

Growth Plan

Quarterly

$49/mo

Billed quarterly.

Start your trial

Free trial7-day free trial on monthly and quarterly plans

Competitor targetingIncluded on the Growth Plan

Profile reviewWeekly Instagram audit on the Growth Plan

Ways to payMonthly, quarterly or yearly

Gainsty vs Kicksta: side by side

See why Kicksta is a better choice than Gainsty, feature by feature.

7 won by Kicksta1 won by Gainsty7 even

Kickstawins the round
Gainstywins the round
Evena tie splits the point

What mattersGainsty$177every 4 monthsKicksta$49/mobilled quarterly

Getting started101 even

Free trialEven 7-day free trial; reviewers report charges during it 7-day free trial on monthly and quarterly plans

Ways to payKicksta Monthly or every 4 months Monthly, quarterly or yearly

What it costs11

Monthly priceGainsty Upgrade Plan $177 every 4 months; monthly prices behind its Monthly switch Growth Plan $69/mo billed monthly

Yearly priceKicksta No yearly plan on its pricing page Growth Plan $39/mo billed yearly

How it grows your account206 even

Who runs your growthNot scored Its team and AI; a dedicated account manager on Turbo Kicksta's tool, from the accounts and hashtags you choose

Competitor targetingEven Among its targeting features; its Turbo plan names it Included on the Growth Plan

Followers in your nicheEven Targets competitors' followers, hashtags and languages Followers from the accounts and hashtags you choose

Hashtag targetingEven Hashtag targeting Hashtag targeting on the Growth Plan

Audience settingsEven Language targeting for country-specific followers Smart niche filters: account size, activity, privacy and content type

Likes your new followers' postsKicksta None listed on its pricing or home page Like after follow, on both plans

Close Friends adderKicksta None listed on its pricing or home page Close Friends Adder on the Advanced Plan

Profile reviewEven Its team reviews your profile by hand Weekly Instagram audit on the Growth Plan

Growth analyticsEven Live growth dashboard Live growth analytics

If something goes wrong30

SupportKicksta An account manager on working days, on Turbo; reviewers report support problems 24/7 live support

CancellingKicksta Pausing doesn't stop the charges, per its terms; reviewers report billing problems Start your cancellation from Settings in your dashboard; there are no cancellation fees

Follower qualityKicksta Its terms say it can't protect you from spam, fake or inactive followers Real, engaged followers

How to switch from Gainsty to Kicksta

Try Kicksta free for 7 days
Pick a monthly or quarterly plan and connect your Instagram account.
Choose who to reach
Add the accounts and hashtags your audience already follows. Kicksta puts your profile in front of the people behind them.
Keep what works
Your dashboard shows which accounts and hashtags bring you new followers. Keep the best ones and swap the rest.

Get started today

Video reviews

Hear it from Kicksta customers

Six customers on what changed once the right people followed them.

47,500+happy customers

NateFreelance photographer
“I even landed a few gigs through Instagram”
AlexUp-and-coming influencer
“It has saved me so much time”
JoshFitness instructor
“It did all the heavy lifting for me”
NatalieContent creator
“People have actually started noticing and reacting to my posts”
CambriaTravel creator
“Kicksta has proved to be the most effective”
MorganBusiness owner
“Kicksta has brought actual relevant followers to my business”

Gainsty alternative FAQ

How much does Gainsty cost?

Its pricing page bills Upgrade at $177 and Turbo at $237 every 4 months by default. Kicksta's Growth Plan is $69/mo billed monthly, $49/mo billed quarterly or $39/mo billed yearly.

Does Gainsty have a free trial?

Yes, 7 days, but some reviewers report being charged during it. Kicksta's monthly and quarterly plans start with a 7-day free trial.

Is Gainsty legit?

Gainsty is a real company that sells Instagram growth plans. Its terms say you use it at your own risk, and its Trustpilot reviewers report misleading marketing and support problems more than anything else.

What do Gainsty reviews say?

Reviewers raise how it's marketed most, followed by support and billing; several say growth fell short of the range it advertises.

How long does Kicksta take to start working?

After you connect, Kicksta warms your account up for up to 72 hours, then growth starts.

Can I cancel Kicksta at any time?

Yes. You can start your cancellation from Settings in your Kicksta dashboard. There are no cancellation fees.

How do I switch from Gainsty to Kicksta?

Start a Kicksta trial on a monthly or quarterly plan and add the accounts and hashtags your audience follows. Your dashboard shows which ones bring you new followers, so you can keep the best and swap the rest.

What is the best Gainsty alternative?

Kicksta, if you want followers from the audience you choose: you pick the accounts and hashtags, and it reaches the people who follow them.

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Kicksta vs BoostFluence Kicksta wins6–1, 8 even

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See what Kicksta does for your account

Pick the accounts and hashtags your audience follows. Try it free for 7 days on a monthly or quarterly plan.

See plans