# GrepEx vs Now

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GrepEx at none against Now's 3. GrepEx also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 18.5). Now's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

GrepEx costs $1.99 and Now $0.99 up front. Now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. GrepEx asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GrepEx | Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Size | 12 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeremy Laratro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864044207) | [浩 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352720622) |

## What reviewers say

### GrepEx

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/grepex/id6756987451)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-message-notes/id6758816670)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Membership | $3.99 | per year |
| Permanent Membership | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GrepEx free?

GrepEx costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Now free?

Now costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Do GrepEx or Now have ads?

Neither GrepEx nor Now shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GrepEx or Now?

GrepEx ships an update weekly, and Now weekly. Most recently, GrepEx was updated on October 7, 2026 and Now on October 17, 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.*