# Empty Widget vs Essential Launcher

The clearest difference is rating: Essential Launcher at 4.5 against Empty Widget's 3.9. Essential Launcher also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 67%) and ratings volume (31 vs 10). Empty Widget's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Empty Widget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Essential Launcher sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Essential Launcher holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Empty Widget's written reviews are positive against 88% of Essential Launcher's.

Empty Widget ships an update every 3 days, Essential Launcher every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Empty Widget | Essential Launcher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empty-widget/id6443517514/reviews) | **[4.5 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-launcher/id6590616999/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **31** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dogancan Mavideniz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1645910174) | [Patrik Racskai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728193737) |

## What reviewers say

### Empty Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empty-widget/id6443517514)

Personalize your home and lock screens with customizable widgets. Create invisible spacing, add transparent elements, or use text, emoji, and countdowns to express yourself. Supports multiple sizes and seamlessly blends with your wallpaper.

**Highlights:** Transparent and invisible widgets, Custom colors and gradients, Text, emoji, and symbol widgets, Countdown and clock widgets, Home and lock screen support, Multiple widget sizes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |


### Essential Launcher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-launcher/id6590616999)

This app offers a minimalist home screen experience designed to reduce distractions and limit screen time. Customize your interface with only essential applications to promote focus and productivity.

**Highlights:** Minimalist home screen, Reduce distractions, Limit screen time, Customize essential apps, Clean, intuitive interface, Dark and light modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Discounted | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Discounted | $3.99 | per year |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Free | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Empty Widget free?

Empty Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Essential Launcher free?

Essential Launcher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Empty Widget or Essential Launcher?

Essential Launcher is rated higher. Empty Widget averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Essential Launcher averages 4.5 from 31 ratings.

### Do Empty Widget or Essential Launcher have ads?

Neither Empty Widget nor Essential Launcher shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Empty Widget or Essential Launcher?

Empty Widget ships an update every 3 days, and Essential Launcher every 11 days. Most recently, Empty Widget was updated on September 7, 2026 and Essential Launcher on September 19, 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.*