# The Reference App vs DawnBox

The clearest difference is price: The Reference App at Free against DawnBox's $1.99. The Reference App also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). DawnBox's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

The Reference App is free to download; DawnBox costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Reference App ships an update fortnightly, DawnBox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Reference App | DawnBox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Size | 48 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dailey Kluck](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864229691) | [鹏 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884186063) |

## What reviewers say

### The Reference App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-reference-app/id6757085288)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### DawnBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dawnbox-time-capsule/id6763193673)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Reference App free?

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

### Is DawnBox free?

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

### Do The Reference App or DawnBox have ads?

The Reference App shows ads; DawnBox does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Reference App or DawnBox?

The Reference App ships an update fortnightly, and DawnBox every 3 months. Most recently, The Reference App was updated on September 18, 2026 and DawnBox on September 21, 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.*