# First Mate vs VIEWAR Scanner

The clearest difference is price: VIEWAR Scanner at Free against First Mate's $19.99. First Mate's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

VIEWAR Scanner is free to download; First Mate costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

First Mate ships an update every 3 weeks, VIEWAR Scanner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and December 20, 2025 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Mate | VIEWAR Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Size | 3 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Ricciardo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585527362) | [ViewAR GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/422609334) |

## What reviewers say

### First Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-mate/id1603120795)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### VIEWAR Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viewar-scanner/id1641078285)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Mate free?

First Mate costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is VIEWAR Scanner free?

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

### Do First Mate or VIEWAR Scanner have ads?

Neither First Mate nor VIEWAR Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Mate or VIEWAR Scanner?

First Mate ships an update every 3 weeks, and VIEWAR Scanner every 3 months. Most recently, First Mate was updated on September 9, 2026 and VIEWAR Scanner on December 20, 2025.

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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.*