Comparison

C5.now vs ReferenceFrame

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

C5.now3 screens
ReferenceFrame4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

C5.now ships an update fortnightly, ReferenceFrame every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
C5.now versus ReferenceFrame: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterC5.nowReferenceFrame
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (215 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews98.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings215 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
Best chart rank—#136 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.414.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB26 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperFourthwall, Inc.Graham Larue

Customer experience

C5.now

All ratings215 ratings
Positive99.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive98.8%
Neutral1.2%
Negative0.0%

ReferenceFrame

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

C5.now

Subscriptions1
  • Full Stream Membership$7.991 Month
None

ReferenceFrame

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is C5.now free?
C5.now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReferenceFrame free?
ReferenceFrame costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, C5.now or ReferenceFrame?
C5.now and ReferenceFrame are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 215 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do C5.now or ReferenceFrame have ads?
Neither C5.now nor ReferenceFrame shows ads.
Which is updated more often, C5.now or ReferenceFrame?
C5.now ships an update fortnightly, and ReferenceFrame every 2 weeks. Most recently, C5.now was updated on October 18, 2026 and ReferenceFrame on October 15, 2026.

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