# Essential Launcher vs PlanPat

The clearest difference is rating: PlanPat at 5.0 against Essential Launcher's 4.6. PlanPat also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Essential Launcher's advantage is ratings volume (36 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

PlanPat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Launcher has 36 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Essential Launcher's written reviews are positive against 100% of PlanPat's.

Essential Launcher ships an update every 11 days, PlanPat every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essential Launcher | PlanPat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-launcher/id6590616999/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planpat/id6742183326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 41 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrik Racskai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1728193737) | [Shanghai Ice Magpie Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1797290263) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### PlanPat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planpat/id6742183326)

Organize life goals with a visually appealing planning app. Features color-coded plans, multi-person collaboration, and an AI assistant for task management. Includes scenario templates and social sharing to inspire progress.

**Highlights:** Color-coded plan management, Multi-person collaboration, AI Agent smart assistant, Scenario plan templates, Social sharing and motivation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Annual Membership | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essential Launcher free?

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

### Is PlanPat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Essential Launcher or PlanPat?

PlanPat is rated higher. Essential Launcher averages 4.6 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while PlanPat averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Essential Launcher or PlanPat have ads?

Neither Essential Launcher nor PlanPat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essential Launcher or PlanPat?

Essential Launcher ships an update every 11 days, and PlanPat every 6 days. Most recently, Essential Launcher was updated on October 23, 2026 and PlanPat on October 24, 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.*