# Sowester vs Bonfire

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sowester at none against Bonfire's 11. Sowester also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.1). Bonfire's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 29 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bonfire sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Sowester asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sowester ships an update every 29 months, Bonfire weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sowester | Bonfire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-anonymous-cozy-diary/id1536070416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 53.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SHUJI TOYOZATO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457952946) | [Yuto Otani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536070418) |

## What reviewers say

### Sowester

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sowester/id1457952947)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bonfire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonfire-anonymous-cozy-diary/id1536070416)

This app offers a private space to journal your thoughts anonymously, accompanied by soothing campfire sounds and ambient visuals. It provides a calm environment for self-reflection, stress relief, and building a journaling habit without the pressures of social media.

**Highlights:** Anonymous and safe journaling, Empathy button for connection, Soothing campfire sounds, Customizable background themes, Daily missions and rewards, Optional premium features

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bonfire Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Bonfire Premium | $22.99 | per year |
| Support  Coffee | $1.49 | one-time |
| Premium plan | $4.99 | one-time |
| Support  Firewood | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium plan | $7.99 | one-time |
| Support  Lantern | $9.99 | one-time |
| Premium plan | $11.99 | one-time |
| Support  Sleeping Bag | $19.99 | one-time |
| Support  Tent | $49.99 | one-time |
| Support  Rent Out the Campsite | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sowester free?

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

### Is Bonfire free?

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

### Do Sowester or Bonfire have ads?

Bonfire shows ads; Sowester does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sowester or Bonfire?

Sowester ships an update every 29 months, and Bonfire weekly. Most recently, Sowester was updated on October 3, 2026 and Bonfire on October 19, 2026.

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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.*