# Shell vs Sanctuary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shell at none against Sanctuary's 3. Shell also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). Sanctuary's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sanctuary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.39 per month. Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, Sanctuary every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and May 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shell | Sanctuary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Size | 57 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iProAT Solutions Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616310929) | [Sharian Dabre](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870909435) |

## What reviewers say

### Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-truck-movement/id6740999800)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sanctuary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sanctuary-deepfocus-timer/id6758106422)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Montly Pro | $3.39 | per month |
| Yearly Pro | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $33.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shell free?

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

### Is Sanctuary free?

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

### Do Shell or Sanctuary have ads?

Sanctuary shows ads; Shell does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shell or Sanctuary?

Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sanctuary every 5 days. Most recently, Shell was updated on September 20, 2026 and Sanctuary on May 30, 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.*