bsd fortune vs Fortune Watch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
bsd fortune
Experience classic Unix humor and wisdom on your Apple devices. This app revives the beloved BSD fortune command, offering a nostalgic trip for those who remember its original charm.
- Classic BSD fortune command emulation
- Nostalgic Unix experience
- Portable to Apple devices
- Simple and straightforward interface
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Brings the old BSD fortune command to the Apple world! This is for those old enough to remember Unix and had the time to play around with time wasters like this.
Fortune Watch
Access over 10,000 random fortunes across various categories directly on your Apple Watch, iPhone, or iPad. Customize your experience by selecting specific lists, text colors, and fortune lengths for a personalized daily dose of inspiration or amusement.
- Fortunes on Apple Watch
- Home screen widgets
- Over 10,000 fortunes
- 29+ fortune lists
- Customizable text colors
- Select fortune lists
- Short fortune option
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Fortune Widget is based on the classic pseudorandom fortune message application that was popular on Unix systems. Designed for widgets and Apple Watch, Fortune offers over 10,000 random fortunes covering categories ranging from sci-fi to literature to sports with quotes from classic TV shows and comics of that era. Features * Get fortunes on your Apple Watch! * See fortunes on your iPhone and iPad! * Add widgets to your home screen! * Over 10,000 fortunes! * Over 29 different lists! * Choose from green screen, amber or modern text color! * Choose which lists to show fortunes from! * Show only short fortunes for a quicker read! * Simple interface - just tap to get a new fortune! * Based on the most popular version written by Ken Arnold This one's for you Dave :-)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fortune Watch at 100% against bsd fortune's 50%. Fortune Watch also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 39 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
bsd fortune costs $0.99 and Fortune Watch $1.49 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Fortune Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of bsd fortune's written reviews are positive against 100% of Fortune Watch's.
bsd fortune ships an update every 39 months, Fortune Watch fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | bsd fortune | Fortune Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $1.49 |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 4.4 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Macplugins | Red Sprite Studios |
Customer experience
bsd fortune
Fortune Watch
In-app purchases
bsd fortune
No in-app purchases
Fortune Watch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is bsd fortune free?
Is Fortune Watch free?
Which has better reviews, bsd fortune or Fortune Watch?
Do bsd fortune or Fortune Watch have ads?
Which is updated more often, bsd fortune or Fortune Watch?
Other comparisons
