Comparison

RefreshMe vs Essential

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RefreshMe

Earn rewards by sharing your opinions and what beverages you consume. Convert points into cash for your feedback.

Highlights
  • Earn rewards for sharing opinions
  • Track beverage consumption
  • Convert points to cash
  • Share feedback on products
  • Rewards for sharing opinions
Features
Read full description

Refresh Me is all about connecting, sharing and earning rewards. Do you want to be rewarded for sharing what beverages you or in some cases, beverages your child has in and out of the home, as well as your thoughts and opinions on things in general? Earn points you can convert to cash by sharing your opinions.

About

Essential

This productivity app focuses on the core essence of a calendar, inspired by Dieter Rams' philosophy of "less, but better." It provides daily weather, exchange rates, and historical events, aiming for a clean and focused user experience without unnecessary clutter.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Daily weather updates
  • Exchange rate information
  • Historical daily events
  • Focused calendar experience
Features
Read full description

Introducing Essential, a new calendar. Essential boldly holds back on colour to create a minimalist design focused on what truly matters. Unlike other apps, events carry no colours, giving your schedule a calm, well-organised feel. Essential brings a [Monthly Calendar] and a [Timeline] together on a single screen. No need to switch screens to see the details of your day. Essential is built around [Continuity]. Whether you're searching for an event or changing a setting, you can do it without leaving the page. For example, tap the magnifying glass in the top right corner. Instead of taking you to a new screen as most apps do, the icon turns straight into a search field, so you can search right where you are. Beyond its design, Essential offers a few special features. 1. Detailed Weather Useful for those who work outdoors. Hourly forecasts, daily highs and lows, and more, made for anyone who keeps an eye on the weather. 2. A little joy in checking your schedule: "On This Day" An ordinary day for some was a meaningful one for others. While checking your schedule, discover events from history based on real facts. Topics span world history, film, art, economics, design and more. 3. Postpone Move an event to the next day. Plans don't always go as planned, so Essential's postpone feature embraces that uncertainty. It simply moves your event by one day. A little room for the days that don't go perfectly. It's okay not to be perfect. 4. The Dial Essential is inspired by the design philosophy of Dieter Rams, the world-renowned industrial designer. To celebrate his work, we've included a tribute object: the dial in the bottom right corner. Press it to add (+) a new event. Turn it like a dial to move through the timeline in one-hour steps. ――― Privacy Policy: https://dieter-rams-project.minimal-calendar.workers.dev/privacy/en

Screenshots

RefreshMe3 screens
Essential4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Essential at 100% against RefreshMe's 38%. Essential also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). RefreshMe's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RefreshMe ships an update monthly, Essential every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RefreshMe versus Essential: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefreshMeEssential
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMobile Digital IndabaChang Hyun Lee

Customer experience

RefreshMe

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive37.8%
Neutral8.1%
Negative54.1%

Essential

Written reviews20 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

RefreshMe

No in-app purchases

None

Essential

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RefreshMe free?
RefreshMe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Essential free?
Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RefreshMe or Essential have ads?
Neither RefreshMe nor Essential shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RefreshMe or Essential?
RefreshMe ships an update monthly, and Essential every 4 days. Most recently, RefreshMe was updated on November 2, 2026 and Essential on November 5, 2026.

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