# MARCUS vs thinkr

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MARCUS at none against thinkr's 2. MARCUS also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. thinkr sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. MARCUS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MARCUS | thinkr |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkr-philosophy-and-stoicism/id6771238081/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Owen McLoughlin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871646245) | [Robert Grissom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893247332) |

## What reviewers say

### MARCUS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marcus/id6760873268)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### thinkr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkr-philosophy-and-stoicism/id6771238081)

Engage with daily philosophical challenges and guided courses to deepen your understanding of complex ideas. Interact with historical thinkers through AI and stage debates on topics that matter to you.

**Highlights:** Daily five-question philosophical challenges, Guided philosophy courses with XP progression, AI chat with 40+ historical philosophers, Stage debates between multiple thinkers, Daily thought prompts and reflection tools, Save and revisit favorite insights

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thinkr Pro · Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Thinkr Pro · Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MARCUS free?

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

### Is thinkr free?

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

### Do MARCUS or thinkr have ads?

thinkr shows ads; MARCUS does not.

### Which is updated more often, MARCUS or thinkr?

MARCUS ships an update weekly, and thinkr weekly. Most recently, MARCUS was updated on November 5, 2026 and thinkr 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.*