Comparison

Texts From Founding Fathers vs Bench Reference

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Texts From Founding Fathers

Receive daily historical quotes from the Founding Fathers of the USA. This educational app offers wisdom and knowledge from key figures, with a Today Widget and Apple Watch app for easy access. Share your favorite insights on social media.

Highlights
  • Daily quotes from Founding Fathers
  • Today Widget and Apple Watch app
  • iMessage stickers
  • Offline access
  • Quote sharing on social media
  • Selectable Founding Father
Features
Read full description

Get daily texts from the Founding Fathers of the USA. Get daily tidbits of wisdom and historical knowledge from the Founding Fathers of the USA! Hundreds of quotes from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, James Madison and John Jay are included in this fun, educational app. Daily messages are always FREE! Now includes a Today Widget and Apple Watch app for the quote of the day. Also enjoy stickers from the various founding fathers in iMessage with iOS 10! Share your favorite quotes on Facebook, Twitter and more! The app does not require Internet access and can be used anywhere, even on iPod touch. Please note that the Founding Father to be quoted can be selected by touching the "i" button in the lower right corner of the main screen. The hour of delivery for daily texts can also be adjusted in the Settings app under "Texts From Founding Fathers".

About

Bench Reference

This professional jeweler's reference guide provides comprehensive information on gemstones, metals, and bench techniques. It includes calculators for pricing, measurements, and 3D printing, along with a personal library and learning tools. Essential for jewelers needing quick access to data and procedures without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Gemstone and material reference
  • Bench technique guides
  • Metal properties and working notes
  • Repair procedures
  • Measurement and data conversions
  • Professional calculators
  • Personal library system
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Bench Reference — The Professional Jeweler's Pocket Guide Everything a bench jeweler needs, right on your phone. Bench Reference puts 30+ reference sections, professional calculators, and a personal library system in your pocket — no internet required. GEMSTONES & MATERIALS Browse 100+ gemstones with Mohs hardness, specific gravity, refractive index, care instructions, setting tips, steam safety, and cleaning methods. Filter by hardness or steam safety to make quick decisions at the bench. Plus dedicated sections for pearls, birthstones, gemstone origins, and stone shapes. BENCH TECHNIQUES Step-by-step reference guides for stone setting (prong, bezel, pavé, channel, flush, tension), soldering, casting, polishing, engraving, wax carving, repairs, annealing, torch & gas, laser welding, rhodium plating, patina & oxidation, and chemical safety. Each section built from real bench experience. 23 METALS Melting points, annealing temps, hardness, specific gravity, and working notes for every metal you'll encounter — from 24K gold and platinum to palladium, steel, and titanium. REPAIRS HUB Sizing up, sizing down, shank replacement, prong rebuilding, chain repair, clasp replacement, soldering guides, porosity troubleshooting, and more. A complete repair reference when you're at the bench. MEASUREMENTS & DATA Ring sizes (US/UK/EU with conversions), wire gauge reference, MM-to-carat weight charts by stone shape, chain styles, necklace and bracelet lengths, finding sizes, and formulas for weight, pricing, and alloy calculations. IDENTIFICATION & TESTING Gemstone testing methods, acid testing procedures for gold, silver, and platinum, hallmark identification, metal allergy reference, and a Stone ID table with SG and RI values for quick identification. PROFESSIONAL TOOLS Ring Blank Calculator — stock length for any ring size Metal Weight Calculator — weight by dimensions and alloy Job Pricing Calculator — materials, labor, and markup Temperature Converter — Fahrenheit and Celsius Weight Converter — grams, dwt, troy oz, carats Bench Timer — burnout and casting countdowns 3D PRINT & CAD Castable resin profiles, resin comparison charts, shrinkage calculator, burnout schedules, support placement guide, troubleshooting, post-processing, printer settings, and stone-in-place casting. Plus MatrixGold CAD shortcuts and workflows. MY LIBRARY Your personal database. Store product specs, component details, alloy recipes, consumable inventory, and supplier contacts. Add photos, SKUs, links, and notes. Organized by category, searchable, and always with you. LEARN & PRACTICE Flashcards and quizzes covering gemstones, metals, setting techniques, and bench skills. Study at your own pace. Perfect for apprentices and seasoned jewelers brushing up. GLOSSARY 200+ jewelry industry terms defined clearly — from bail to burnisher, firescale to findings. NEW IN v8.1 Redesigned splash screen and home page Expanded and fact-checked reference data across metals, solders, gemstones, and casting Added Wire Gauge reference, Patina & Oxidation section, and new gemstones to Stone ID Fixed display issues and icons throughout the app General polish and performance improvements BUILT FOR THE BENCH No ads. No subscriptions. No internet required. Bench Reference is built by jewelers for jewelers — a single purchase that works offline, everywhere you need it.

Screenshots

Texts From Founding Fathers4 screens
Bench Reference4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Texts From Founding Fathers at Free against Bench Reference's $4.99. Texts From Founding Fathers also leads on ratings volume (803 vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). Bench Reference's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Texts From Founding Fathers is free to download; Bench Reference costs $4.99 up front. Texts From Founding Fathers sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Bench Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bench Reference holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Texts From Founding Fathers has 803 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Texts From Founding Fathers's written reviews are positive against 100% of Bench Reference's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Texts From Founding Fathers ships an update every 6 days, Bench Reference weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Texts From Founding Fathers versus Bench Reference: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTexts From Founding FathersBench Reference
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (803 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings803 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#187 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB3 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCatloaf Software LLCAaron brown

Customer experience

Texts From Founding Fathers

All ratings803 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive86.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative11.0%

Bench Reference

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Texts From Founding Fathers

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notifications stopped working in iOS 13
  • Text box is cut off, showing sloppy development

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add capability to toggle between Founding Fathers quotes
  • Include the name of the Founding Father with each quote
  • Ability to save or favorite specific quotes
  • Option to rotate through quotes from different Founding Fathers
  • Improve sharing functionality to social media
Show 1 more
  • Add more Founding Fathers beyond just Washington, Jefferson, etc.

Bench Reference

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Texts From Founding Fathers

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Texts7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Premium Texts (promo)7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Premium Texts14 Days trial$1.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Premium Texts1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Texts14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium Texts1 Year trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads2 variants$0.99
None

Bench Reference

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Texts From Founding Fathers free?
Texts From Founding Fathers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bench Reference free?
Bench Reference costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Texts From Founding Fathers or Bench Reference?
Bench Reference is rated higher. Texts From Founding Fathers averages 4.8 out of 5 from 803 ratings, while Bench Reference averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Texts From Founding Fathers or Bench Reference have ads?
Texts From Founding Fathers shows ads; Bench Reference does not.
Which is updated more often, Texts From Founding Fathers or Bench Reference?
Texts From Founding Fathers ships an update every 6 days, and Bench Reference weekly. Most recently, Texts From Founding Fathers was updated on September 27, 2026 and Bench Reference on September 9, 2026.

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