# Bestead vs Balm

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bestead at fortnightly against Balm's monthly. Balm's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bestead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Balm sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bestead ships an update fortnightly, Balm monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bestead | Balm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Size | 58 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jan Christian](https://appshunter.io/developer/792146006) | [VLADISLAVS PETKUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895800689) |

## What reviewers say

### Bestead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bestead/id6760298034)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bestead Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bestead Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


### Balm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balm-cbt-thought-diary/id6789923194)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Balm Premium Launch Offer | $14.99 | one-time |
| Balm Premium Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bestead free?

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

### Is Balm free?

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

### Do Bestead or Balm have ads?

Neither Bestead nor Balm shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bestead or Balm?

Bestead ships an update fortnightly, and Balm monthly. Most recently, Bestead was updated on November 13, 2026 and Balm on November 5, 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.*