# Handwoven vs Advance! AF

Handwoven and Advance! AF both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Advance! AF's written reviews are positive against 63% of Handwoven's. Advance! AF also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 28). Handwoven's advantage is ratings volume (302 vs 11) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Handwoven sells 28 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Advance! AF asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Handwoven against 4.8 for Advance! AF. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handwoven has 302 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Handwoven's written reviews are positive against 100% of Advance! AF's.

Handwoven ships an update every 5 months, Advance! AF every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handwoven | Advance! AF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwoven/id1480296464/reviews)** | [4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/advance-af/id1598705982/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 83 MB | 140 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Long Thread Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480296463) | [Church of Scientology International](https://appshunter.io/developer/412117484) |

## What reviewers say

### Handwoven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwoven/id1480296464)

Explore the world of handweaving with a digital magazine. Each issue offers projects, instructions, and inspiration to enhance your skills and design creativity. Stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the handweaving community.

**Highlights:** Handweaving projects, Technical skill instruction, Design confidence building, Inspiration for weavers, Digital magazine format, Subscription access to current and future issues

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (28)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.49 | per month |
| One Year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| March-April 2019 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November-December 2019 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January-February 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September/October 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2021 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2022 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September/October 2022 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November-December 2015 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Winter 2026 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Spring 2025 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May-June 2014 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March-April 2017 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November/December 2022 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March-April 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November-December 2017 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2023 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January/February 2021 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September-October 2017 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Spring 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Spring 2026 | $7.99 | one-time |
| January-February 2016 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November/December 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May-June 2015 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Access to back issues
- 👍 Great magazine content
- 👍 Useful for learning weaving
- 👍 Good for finding patterns
- 👍 Digital subscription is joyful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bookmarks losing photos
- 🐛 Bookmarks disappearing
- 🐛 Search function not sophisticated
- 🐛 Search doesn't find designer/yarn/loom
- 🐛 Bookmarking is pointless without photos

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open
- Bookmarks have no photos
- Bookmarks have disappeared
- Search function is useless/doesn't work
- No access since last update (requires subscription)

**Requested features**

- Improve search sophistication (designer, yarn, loom)
- Fix bookmark photos
- Allow printing of patterns


### Advance! AF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/advance-af/id1598705982)

This app provides a digital edition of Advance! magazine, featuring exclusive content for Scientologists with an IAS membership. Access spiritual freedom, success stories, and news from AOSH Africa on your phone or tablet. Stay updated with new issues and videos, and bookmark your favorite articles.

**Highlights:** Digital magazine access, Exclusive content for IAS members, Success stories and news, Bookmark favorite articles, New issue notifications, Exclusive videos

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handwoven free?

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

### Is Advance! AF free?

Advance! AF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Handwoven or Advance! AF?

Handwoven is rated higher. Handwoven averages 4.9 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Advance! AF averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Handwoven or Advance! AF have ads?

Neither Handwoven nor Advance! AF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Handwoven or Advance! AF?

Handwoven ships an update every 5 months, and Advance! AF every 3 months. Most recently, Handwoven was updated on October 24, 2026 and Advance! AF on October 27, 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.*