The Essential vs My CrewMate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Factory-direct furniture
- Designer-quality at lower prices
- Avoid retail markups
- Access to original factory sources
Read full descriptionHide full description
Furniture from the same factories as designer brands. Without the markups.
My CrewMate
This app serves as a shopping companion for cruise ship crew members, allowing them to browse products, request delivery, and receive personalized assistance. It offers easy browsing of new arrivals and exclusive access to special offers, all managed from a mobile device.
- Browse essential products
- Request concierge delivery
- Personalized assistance
- Easy browsing of new arrivals
- Exclusive access to offers
- Secure and fast checkout
Read full descriptionHide full description
My Crewmate is the ultimate shopping companion for cruise ship crew members. Whether you're docked in Juneau or planning your next port pickup, our app helps you browse essential products, request concierge delivery, and get personalized help — all from your phone. No login required. Use WhatsApp to ask questions, check availability, or get product recommendations tailored to life at sea. From phones and electronics to snacks and personal care, My Crewmate connects you with the things you need while you work far from home. EASY BROWSING Shop the freshest new arrivals across our entire catalog. EXCLUSIVE ACCESS Be first to know about special offers and launches through push notifications. SECURE CHECKOUT IN A FLASH Tap, swipe, shop and secure your new products in an instant with our super easy checkout.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: My CrewMate at 5.0 against The Essential's 4.0. The Essential's advantage is ratings volume (100 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
My CrewMate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Essential has 100 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, My CrewMate every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Essential | My CrewMate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (100 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 100 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Inhabit.io, Inc | Federated Port Stores Corp |
Customer experience
The Essential
My CrewMate
Bugs and requests
The Essential
Reported bugs
7 issues- Won't let me log in without paid account
- Shipping option keeps pending
- App loads website
- Cannot maintain session token
- App is buggy
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Cannot see order details in the app
- Login screen freezes
Requested features
18 requests- Contact information on the app
- Ability to get refunds
- Better shipping reliability
- More product availability
- Clearer pricing information
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Improved customer service response times
- Ability to maintain login sessions
- Fix app bugs
- Display order details in the app
- Improve shipping quality for delicate items
- Focus on fulfilling existing orders
- Improve supply chain management
- Improve app usability
- Improve shipping process
- Make cancellations easier
- Ensure inventory availability
- Provide product expiration dates
- Improve communication about shipping delays
My CrewMate
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Essential
No in-app purchases
My CrewMate
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Essential free?
Is My CrewMate free?
Which has better reviews, The Essential or My CrewMate?
Do The Essential or My CrewMate have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Essential or My CrewMate?
Other comparisons
