# W Connect By Walgreens vs Essences

The clearest difference is rating: Essences at 5.0 against W Connect By Walgreens's 3.4. Essences also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). W Connect By Walgreens's advantage is ratings volume (78 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Essences holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: W Connect By Walgreens has 78 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

W Connect By Walgreens ships an update every 3 months, Essences every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | W Connect By Walgreens | Essences |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/w-connect-by-walgreens/id1621144928/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essences/id6720711081/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **78** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 31.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 73 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Walgreen Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/335364885) | [Caridad Rivera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1770665112) |

## What reviewers say

### W Connect By Walgreens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/w-connect-by-walgreens/id1621144928)

Access company news, stories, and resources from Walgreens. Find nearby stores, learn about company initiatives, and connect through social media. Explore career opportunities and company facts.

**Highlights:** Company news and stories, Store locator, Company information and FAQs, Engagement options, Featured leaders and team members, Auto-translations

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Essences

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essences/id6720711081)

Share personal stories and messages within curated topics based on real-life experiences. Connect with others by highlighting resonant parts of their stories, symbolizing shared life experiences.

**Highlights:** Curated topic-based sharing, Personal story and message submission, Highlighting resonant story fragments, Symbolic connection acknowledgment, Focus on real-life experiences

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is W Connect By Walgreens free?

W Connect By Walgreens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Essences free?

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

### Which has better reviews, W Connect By Walgreens or Essences?

Essences is rated higher. W Connect By Walgreens averages 3.4 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while Essences averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do W Connect By Walgreens or Essences have ads?

Neither W Connect By Walgreens nor Essences shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, W Connect By Walgreens or Essences?

W Connect By Walgreens ships an update every 3 months, and Essences every 5 months. Most recently, W Connect By Walgreens was updated on November 3, 2026 and Essences on October 30, 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.*