# First Mate vs Vinyl Mobile

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Vinyl Mobile at none against First Mate's 2. First Mate's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. First Mate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Vinyl Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

First Mate ships an update monthly, Vinyl Mobile every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Mate | Vinyl Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 105 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First Mate Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676378839) | [VinylAU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841305592) |

## What reviewers say

### First Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-mate/id6446157447)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription. | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $129.99 | per year |


### Vinyl Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vinyl-mobile/id6753325852)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Mate free?

First Mate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Vinyl Mobile free?

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

### Do First Mate or Vinyl Mobile have ads?

Neither First Mate nor Vinyl Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Mate or Vinyl Mobile?

First Mate ships an update monthly, and Vinyl Mobile every 3 weeks. Most recently, First Mate was updated on October 7, 2026 and Vinyl Mobile on October 7, 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.*