# Bean Step vs The Gardener

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Gardener at none against Bean Step's 4. Bean Step's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bean Step sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. The Gardener asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bean Step ships an update every 2 weeks, The Gardener monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bean Step | The Gardener |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Size | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeshua Hertzke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767218441) | [CARSTEN FREITAG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800952607) |

## What reviewers say

### Bean Step

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bean-step/id6753152079)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beanstalk Colour Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Island Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sky Colour Bundle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beanstalk Resurrection | $0.99 | one-time |


### The Gardener

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardener-arcade/id6757014190)

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bean Step free?

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

### Is The Gardener free?

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

### Do Bean Step or The Gardener have ads?

Neither Bean Step nor The Gardener shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bean Step or The Gardener?

Bean Step ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Gardener monthly. Most recently, Bean Step was updated on October 25, 2026 and The Gardener on October 28, 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.*