# Essential Stencil vs BBCrafts

The clearest difference is monetization model: BBCrafts at free against Essential Stencil's free with in-app purchases. Essential Stencil's advantage is ratings volume (751 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Essential Stencil against 5.0 for BBCrafts. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Stencil has 751 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Essential Stencil ships an update every 3 weeks, BBCrafts monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essential Stencil | BBCrafts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (751 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-stencil/id1558710666/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbcrafts/id6478506374/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **751** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 97.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 75 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Essential Stencil](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558710668) | [BBCrafts](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733066554) |

## What reviewers say

### Essential Stencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-stencil/id1558710666)

Discover and shop for premium, reusable sign stencils made from flexible mylar. These durable stencils are designed for repeated use, saving you time, effort, and reducing waste while ensuring beautiful results for your projects.

**Highlights:** Premium reusable sign stencils, Durable mylar material, Flexible and rugged design, Save time and effort, Reduce waste, Achieve gorgeous results

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 High-quality products
- 🎨 Excellent crafting supplies
- 💕 Great customer service
- 🤩 Inspiring ambassadors
- 🔍 Wide selection of designs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login issues

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen not working for some users

**Requested features**

- More children/nursery themed designs
- Expanded product lines


### BBCrafts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbcrafts/id6478506374)

Shop the latest arrivals and promotions from BBCrafts directly on your iOS device. Easily place orders, manage waitlisted items, and receive email notifications for order fulfillment and shipping updates.

**Highlights:** Browse new arrivals and promotions, Easy ordering and checkout, Waitlist items, Purchase back-in-stock items, Email notifications for shipping

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essential Stencil free?

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

### Is BBCrafts free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Essential Stencil or BBCrafts?

BBCrafts is rated higher. Essential Stencil averages 4.9 out of 5 from 751 ratings, while BBCrafts averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Essential Stencil or BBCrafts have ads?

Neither Essential Stencil nor BBCrafts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essential Stencil or BBCrafts?

Essential Stencil ships an update every 3 weeks, and BBCrafts monthly. Most recently, Essential Stencil was updated on September 23, 2026 and BBCrafts on June 1, 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.*