# BACKSIES vs The Boatman's Tale

The clearest difference is update cadence: The Boatman's Tale at every 5 weeks against BACKSIES's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BACKSIES sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Boatman's Tale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BACKSIES ships an update every 2 months, The Boatman's Tale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BACKSIES | The Boatman's Tale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Size | 84 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeffrey Caldwell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858678130) | [Umur SECKIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877891179) |

## What reviewers say

### BACKSIES

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backsies/id6759870485)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### The Boatman's Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-boatmans-tale/id6760857255)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Harbor Pass (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Ad-Free Harbor Pass (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |
| 1x Net Booster | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1x TNT Booster | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1x Harpoon Booster | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1x Anchor Booster | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sailor's Pass | $1.99 | one-time |
| Epic Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Mega Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Captain's Vault | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BACKSIES free?

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

### Is The Boatman's Tale free?

The Boatman's Tale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do BACKSIES or The Boatman's Tale have ads?

Both BACKSIES and The Boatman's Tale show ads.

### Which is updated more often, BACKSIES or The Boatman's Tale?

BACKSIES ships an update every 2 months, and The Boatman's Tale every 5 weeks. Most recently, BACKSIES was updated on October 25, 2026 and The Boatman's Tale on October 31, 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.*