# JOANN vs Basic Fabrics

The clearest difference is ads: Basic Fabrics at none against JOANN's shown. JOANN's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 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.

JOANN ships an update fortnightly, Basic Fabrics every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JOANN | Basic Fabrics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (657K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joann-shopping-and-crafts/id405383140/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **657K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/536616230) | [National Fabrics (Pty) Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819062955) |

## What reviewers say

### JOANN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joann-shopping-and-crafts/id405383140)

Discover thousands of craft projects and DIY ideas. Shop for supplies, access exclusive coupons, and join a rewards program for personalized deals. Share your creations and connect with a community of makers.

**Highlights:** Browse and shop thousands of products, Access weekly ads and coupons, Join free rewards program, Discover and share DIY projects, Scan product barcodes, In-store pickup options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Easy to use
- 💰 Great savings and coupons
- 🏪 Convenient store locations
- 🎨 Fantastic selection of products

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🔍 Poor search and filtering functionality
- 📦 Inaccurate inventory and order fulfillment issues
- 💳 Frustrating checkout and payment process
- 🤖 Inconsistent app and website integration

**Reported bugs**

- Cart items disappearing during checkout
- Inability to cancel or modify orders
- Inconsistent pricing between app and in-store
- Scanning feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Allow in-app purchase and payment
- Implement a wishlist or favorites feature
- Improve real-time inventory visibility
- Provide better coupon management and usage
- Enhance the overall user experience


### Basic Fabrics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-fabrics/id1545574605)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JOANN free?

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

### Is Basic Fabrics free?

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

### Do JOANN or Basic Fabrics have ads?

JOANN shows ads; Basic Fabrics does not.

### Which is updated more often, JOANN or Basic Fabrics?

JOANN ships an update fortnightly, and Basic Fabrics every 3 months. Most recently, JOANN was updated on October 22, 2026 and Basic Fabrics on October 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*