C5.now vs ReferenceFrame
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
C5.now
This app offers a curated selection of real documentaries, featuring a variety of genres without studio interference. Enjoy unfiltered stories, field reporting, and first-person access across politics, culture, crime, and more. Watch on any device and support independent creators.
- Curated documentary library
- Multiple genres available
- Unfiltered stories and field reporting
- Cross-device compatibility
- Human curation by experts
- Support for independent creators
- New releases and deep dives
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C5NOW is a new streaming home for real documentaries. Curated by Channel 5 and Andrew Callaghan with no studio spin or fake polish. Just stories that matter. What you get: - Fresh documentaries, every genre - Politics, culture, crime, comedy, music, travel, and more. Short and long. New drops often. - Unfiltered stories - We keep it real. Field reporting. First-person access. No corporate notes. - Watch anywhere - TV, phone, and web. Start on your couch, finish on the train. Your account travels with you. - Support real journalism - Human curation - Handpicked by Channel 5 and Andrew. If it is mid, it does not ship. - Beyond documentaries - Series, specials, and experiments. If the story is good, it belongs here. Why it matters: - We give it back to the creators - Most platforms hoard the pie. We split it with the people who did the work. - Independent by design - No studio gatekeeping. No middlemen telling you what “plays.” - Community over clicks - We care about impact, not empty views. If a film makes you think, that is a win. What to expect: - New releases - Fresh drops from the field. Breaking stories when they matter. - Deep dives - Longform docs that dive into a topic and show the full picture. - Extras - Bonus scenes, Q&A, behind-the-scenes, field notes. If you want documentaries that do not talk down to you, you are in the right place. C5NOW is about creating and showcasing documentaries and beyond. Join in. --- Payments and Renewal: Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions in your Account settings at any time after purchase Terms of use: https://c5.now/terms-of-service Privacy policy: https://c5.now/privacy-policy
ReferenceFrame
This app calculates all necessary dimensions for custom picture framing, including mat cuts and material depths. It ensures your artwork fits within the frame's rabbet and generates a detailed cut list and technical diagram. Works offline and supports various measurement units.
- Calculates frame, mat, and cut dimensions
- Checks artwork fit within rabbet
- Generates technical cross-section diagrams
- Exports PDF summary
- Saves configurations and design history
- Supports inches (with fractions) and millimeters
- Works entirely offline
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ReferenceFrame does the math for custom picture framing. Enter your artwork size and frame stock dimensions, and it sorts out mat cuts, rabbet clearances, material stack depths, and a complete cut list. WHAT IT DOES - Calculates frame, mat, and cut dimensions from your artwork size - Checks that everything actually fits in the rabbet (and tells you when it won't) - Generates a technical cross-section diagram with labeled dimensions - Plans corner spline slots: placement and safe depth for your moulding - Lays out hanging hardware: hanger positions, wire length, and where the hook lands - Estimates finished weight and wire tension from real wood, glass, and board densities - Exports a PDF summary you can take to the workshop - Saves configurations and keeps a history of your designs DETAILS - Inches (including fractions) or millimeters - Traditional rabbet or sight-size (full-bleed) frame styles - "Cut to fit" sizes that honor assembly clearance - Standard and custom artwork sizes - Adjustable defaults for frame stock, mat width, material thicknesses, and more - Works entirely offline — nothing leaves your device Built for anyone who's ever needed to know exactly how wide to cut a mat, and would rather not find out the hard way that they were off by an eighth.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: C5.now at Free against ReferenceFrame's $4.99. C5.now also leads on ratings volume (215 vs 1). ReferenceFrame's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#136 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
C5.now is free to download; ReferenceFrame costs $4.99 up front. C5.now sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month. ReferenceFrame asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for C5.now against 5.0 for ReferenceFrame. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: C5.now has 215 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
C5.now ships an update fortnightly, ReferenceFrame every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | C5.now | ReferenceFrame |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (215 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 98.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 215 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Paid — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #136 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fourthwall, Inc. | Graham Larue |
Customer experience
C5.now
ReferenceFrame
In-app purchases
C5.now
- Full Stream Membership$7.991 Month
ReferenceFrame
No in-app purchases









