# Shell Bear vs Refranc

The clearest difference is update cadence: Refranc at every 11 months against Shell Bear's every 23 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Shell Bear ships an update every 23 months, Refranc every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shell Bear | Refranc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | **Every 11 months** |
| Size | 4 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [sotaro kumagai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515444597) | [Active Media Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/736484999) |

## What reviewers say

### Shell Bear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-bear/id1515444598)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Refranc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refranc/id1543827826)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shell Bear free?

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

### Is Refranc free?

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

### Do Shell Bear or Refranc have ads?

Neither Shell Bear nor Refranc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shell Bear or Refranc?

Shell Bear ships an update every 23 months, and Refranc every 11 months. Most recently, Shell Bear was updated on October 1, 2026 and Refranc on September 12, 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.*