# Growing Guide vs EssenceForge

The clearest difference is ads: EssenceForge at none against Growing Guide's shown. EssenceForge also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Growing Guide ships an update every 2 months, EssenceForge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Growing Guide | EssenceForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Size | 21 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koewen Hoffman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1640324631) | [Ani Khachatryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815741314) |

## What reviewers say

### Growing Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/growing-guide-herbs/id1640558670)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### EssenceForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essenceforge-scent-crafter/id6746206035)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Growing Guide free?

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

### Is EssenceForge free?

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

### Do Growing Guide or EssenceForge have ads?

Growing Guide shows ads; EssenceForge does not.

### Which is updated more often, Growing Guide or EssenceForge?

Growing Guide ships an update every 2 months, and EssenceForge fortnightly. Most recently, Growing Guide was updated on October 27, 2026 and EssenceForge on October 28, 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.*