# Beads Buddy vs Bead Duck

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beads Buddy at none against Bead Duck's 3. Beads Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Bead Duck's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bead Duck sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Beads Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Beads Buddy ships an update every 4 days, Bead Duck fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beads Buddy | Bead Duck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Size | 64 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket factory AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1793104474) | [建军 鲁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1646877894) |

## What reviewers say

### Beads Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beads-buddy-bead-patterns/id6757596324)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bead Duck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bead-duck-bead-pattern-maker/id6761645860)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beads Buddy free?

Beads Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bead Duck free?

Bead Duck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Beads Buddy or Bead Duck have ads?

Beads Buddy shows ads; Bead Duck does not.

### Which is updated more often, Beads Buddy or Bead Duck?

Beads Buddy ships an update every 4 days, and Bead Duck fortnightly. Most recently, Beads Buddy was updated on September 17, 2026 and Bead Duck on July 8, 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.*