Comparison

The Essential vs Croissant

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

Head to head
About

The Essential

Discover and purchase furniture directly from the factories that produce for designer brands. Enjoy high-quality pieces without the traditional retail markups. Access factory-direct pricing for stylish home furnishings.

Highlights
  • Factory-direct furniture
  • Designer-quality at lower prices
  • Avoid retail markups
  • Access to original factory sources
Features
Read full description

Furniture from the same factories as designer brands. Without the markups.

About

Croissant

Earn rewards and get more from your purchases with this shopping app. It offers cashback in store credit and integrates resale functionality, allowing you to see an item's resale value and sell it easily. Connect with brands and friends to discover new items and trends.

Highlights
  • Earn 10% back in Croissant Credit
  • Integrated resale value tracking
  • Resell items in one click
  • Shop with 100+ fashion brands
  • Track rewards and manage collection
  • Follow friends and explore purchases
Features
Read full description

Croissant is the wallet for luxury fashion. Earn credit when you shop, get credit drops from the brands you love, and sell what you own at a guaranteed price. New members start with $100. SHOP AND EARN 10% BACK Choose Croissant at checkout with partner brands, online or in store, and 10% of what you pay comes back as credit for next time. Your credit comes straight off the total, with no codes to track. CREDIT DROPS FROM BRANDS Brands including SIMKHAI, Johanna Ortiz, Mansur Gavriel and Altuzarra drop credit into your wallet before you shop. Claim a drop, then spend it at checkout alongside the rest of your credit. SELL WHAT YOU OWN IN ONE TAP Connect Gmail and your collection builds itself: every receipt imported, every eligible piece priced, across 200+ brands. When you are ready to sell, tap the piece, ship it with the prepaid label, and get paid in credit once it is verified. There are no photos or listings to make. KNOW WHAT IT IS WORTH BEFORE YOU BUY Turn on the Safari extension and product pages show what you will earn back and what Croissant will pay if you sell later. It earns you credit as you shop at retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Revolve. ONE WALLET FOR ALL OF IT Your welcome credit, your 10% back, your credit drops and your resale payouts land in one place. Spend it with partner brands, or turn it into gift cards at Revolve and FWRD. CROISSANT PREMIUM Optional. $100 in credit every month (or a $50 gift card), 15% back on every purchase, and shipping covered on every sale. $30 a month or $300 a year. Cancel anytime. Joining Croissant costs nothing. A $15 shipping fee applies when you sell, and Premium members do not pay it. Terms: croissant.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy: croissant.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

The Essential4 screens
Croissant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Croissant at 4.7 against The Essential's 4.0. Croissant also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 24%) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Croissant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Croissant has 559 ratings behind it against 100, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of The Essential's written reviews are positive against 62% of Croissant's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, Croissant every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
The Essential versus Croissant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe EssentialCroissant
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (100 ratings)4.7 (559 ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.1% of reviews62.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings100559 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.416.4
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB158 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInhabit.io, IncCroissant

Customer experience

The Essential

All ratings100 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative24.0%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive24.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.9%

Croissant

All ratings559 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral2.0%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative32.8%

Bugs and requests

The Essential

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Croissant

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inconsistent loading screens
  • Inability to select multiple items to sell

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to view past sales and returned items
  • Less invasive browser extension
  • Option to redeem gift cards without extension
  • Improved app stability and bug fixes

In-app purchases

None

The Essential

No in-app purchases

None

Croissant

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Essential free?
The Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Croissant free?
Croissant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Essential or Croissant?
Croissant is rated higher. The Essential averages 4.0 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while Croissant averages 4.7 from 559 ratings.
Do The Essential or Croissant have ads?
The Essential shows ads; Croissant does not.
Which is updated more often, The Essential or Croissant?
The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, and Croissant every 9 days. Most recently, The Essential was updated on October 20, 2026 and Croissant on October 27, 2026.

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