# bönd vs Essences

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Essences at none against bönd's 3. bönd's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. bönd sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Essences asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for bönd against 5.0 for Essences. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

bönd ships an update weekly, Essences every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bönd | Essences |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bond-build-network/id1625502531/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essences/id6720711081/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 59 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Elephant Mind LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625502533) | [Caridad Rivera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1770665112) |

## What reviewers say

### bönd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bond-build-network/id1625502531)

This social networking app uses AI to help you assess the strength of your relationships with friends. It provides insights into your social circle, helps your network grow organically, and allows you to understand the depth of your connections.

**Highlights:** AI-driven bond rating, Network growth tracking, Meaningful relationship insights, User-friendly interface, Privacy-focused data security

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $2.99 | per month |
| All Access | $29.99 | per year |
| All Access | $99.99 | one-time |


### 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 bönd free?

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

### Is Essences free?

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

### Which has better reviews, bönd or Essences?

bönd and Essences are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do bönd or Essences have ads?

Neither bönd nor Essences shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bönd or Essences?

bönd ships an update weekly, and Essences every 5 months. Most recently, bönd was updated on September 16, 2026 and Essences on September 21, 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.*