# First Mate vs GrowDiary

The clearest difference is price: GrowDiary at Free against First Mate's $19.99. First Mate's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

GrowDiary 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, GrowDiary every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Mate | GrowDiary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Size | 3 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.5** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Ricciardo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585527362) | [GrowD soft s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784239247) |

## What reviewers say

### First Mate

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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### GrowDiary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/growdiary/id6739211123)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Mate free?

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

### Is GrowDiary free?

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

### Do First Mate or GrowDiary have ads?

GrowDiary shows ads; First Mate does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Mate or GrowDiary?

First Mate ships an update every 3 weeks, and GrowDiary every 2 weeks. Most recently, First Mate was updated on September 9, 2026 and GrowDiary on September 14, 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.*