# The Essential vs My CrewMate

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Essential | My CrewMate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-essential/id1522395728/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-crewmate/id6749187544/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **100** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 24.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 78 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Inhabit.io, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1522395730) | [Federated Port Stores Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829179222) |

## What reviewers say

### The Essential

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-essential/id1522395728)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good quality furniture
- 👍 Good customer support
- 👍 Simple yet powerful app
- 👍 Fantastic products
- 👍 Love the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Login issues with Shopify
- 😞 No contact info on app
- 😞 Delayed shipments
- 😞 No refunds, only credit
- 😞 Shipping option pending

**Reported bugs**

- Won't let me log in without paid account
- Shipping option keeps pending
- App loads website
- Cannot maintain session token
- App is buggy

**Requested features**

- Contact information on the app
- Ability to get refunds
- Better shipping reliability
- More product availability
- Clearer pricing information


### My CrewMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-crewmate/id6749187544)

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.

**Highlights:** Browse essential products, Request concierge delivery, Personalized assistance, Easy browsing of new arrivals, Exclusive access to offers, Secure and fast checkout

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Essential free?

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

### Is My CrewMate free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Essential or My CrewMate?

My CrewMate is rated higher. The Essential averages 4.0 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while My CrewMate averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do The Essential or My CrewMate have ads?

Both The Essential and My CrewMate show ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Essential or My CrewMate?

The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, and My CrewMate every 6 weeks. Most recently, The Essential was updated on November 3, 2026 and My CrewMate on October 30, 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.*