# Mecenas vs Thalio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mecenas at none against Thalio's 5. Mecenas also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Thalio's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 22 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thalio sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Mecenas asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mecenas ships an update every 22 months, Thalio weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mecenas | Thalio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thalio/id6751552538/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BSR Agency](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789565957) | [Sergi Laurent](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835771505) |

## What reviewers say

### Mecenas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mecenas/id1619610862)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Thalio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thalio/id6751552538)

Identify marine species with AI, explore interactive collections, and learn detailed facts about ocean life. Discover regional species and contribute to conservation efforts. Some advanced features require a subscription.

**Highlights:** AI species recognition, Interactive marine life collection, Detailed species profiles, Regional species exploration, Conservation contribution, Gamified upgrades

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reef Hero 1 Week | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Reef Hero Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Early Reef Hero 1 Year | $17.99 | per year |
| Early Reef Hero 1 Year | $21.99 | per year |
| Reef Hero Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mecenas free?

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

### Is Thalio free?

Thalio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Mecenas or Thalio have ads?

Neither Mecenas nor Thalio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mecenas or Thalio?

Mecenas ships an update every 22 months, and Thalio weekly. Most recently, Mecenas was updated on October 4, 2026 and Thalio on October 24, 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.*