# The Essential vs Buildnotes

The clearest difference is ads: Buildnotes at none against The Essential's shown. Buildnotes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, Buildnotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Essential | Buildnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-essential/id1522395728/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **100** | — |
| Positive reviews | 24.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 78 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Inhabit.io, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1522395730) | [Buildnotes, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875162201) |

## 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


### Buildnotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buildnotes/id6753773943)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Essential free?

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

### Is Buildnotes free?

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

### Do The Essential or Buildnotes have ads?

The Essential shows ads; Buildnotes does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Essential or Buildnotes?

The Essential ships an update every 4 weeks, and Buildnotes weekly. Most recently, The Essential was updated on October 12, 2026 and Buildnotes on October 7, 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.*