# IMS vs GIM Essentials

The clearest difference is update cadence: IMS at every 3 weeks against GIM Essentials's every 2 months. GIM Essentials's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

IMS ships an update every 3 weeks, GIM Essentials every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IMS | GIM Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Size | 19 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Primaxis Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639987030) | [ACQUIRE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1348201049) |

## What reviewers say

### IMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ims/id1639987028)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### GIM Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gim-essentials/id6476652199)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IMS free?

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

### Is GIM Essentials free?

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

### Do IMS or GIM Essentials have ads?

Neither IMS nor GIM Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IMS or GIM Essentials?

IMS ships an update every 3 weeks, and GIM Essentials every 2 months. Most recently, IMS was updated on September 8, 2026 and GIM Essentials on September 15, 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.*