# Self vs The Waves.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Self at none against The Waves.'s 3. Self also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Waves. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Self asks for nothing beyond the download.

Self ships an update every 2 weeks, The Waves. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Self | The Waves. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Size | 36 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marharyta Paliakova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728381724) | [Oscar Fogelstrom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885633917) |

## What reviewers say

### Self

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/self-care-space/id6476960748)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Waves.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waves/id6761295581)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Wave | $0.99 | one-time |
| Steady Tide | $3.99 | one-time |
| Deep Ocean | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Self free?

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

### Is The Waves. free?

The Waves. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Self or The Waves. have ads?

Neither Self nor The Waves. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Self or The Waves.?

Self ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Waves. every 2 months. Most recently, Self was updated on October 30, 2026 and The Waves. on October 25, 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.*