# Essense vs Alpha

The clearest difference is update cadence: Alpha at every 3 months against Essense's every 15 months. Essense's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Essense ships an update every 15 months, Alpha every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essense | Alpha |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Size | 34 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yash Jain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719855391) | [Marc Gelwert](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869875488) |

## What reviewers say

### Essense

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essense/id6448989608)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alpha

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpha-track/id6757949847)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essense free?

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

### Is Alpha free?

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

### Do Essense or Alpha have ads?

Neither Essense nor Alpha shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essense or Alpha?

Essense ships an update every 15 months, and Alpha every 3 months. Most recently, Essense was updated on September 18, 2026 and Alpha on September 9, 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.*