# Fermentation Lab vs Sourdough Starter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fermentation Lab at none against Sourdough Starter's 3. Fermentation Lab also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Sourdough Starter's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sourdough Starter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Fermentation Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fermentation Lab ships an update every 5 weeks, Sourdough Starter every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fermentation Lab | Sourdough Starter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Size | 91 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Antonio Lice](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888002310) | [Moonshot Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895657487) |

## What reviewers say

### Fermentation Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fermentation-lab/id6761143434)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sourdough Starter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sourdough-starter-levain/id6780496763)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Levain Pro — Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Levain Pro — Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Levain Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fermentation Lab free?

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

### Is Sourdough Starter free?

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

### Do Fermentation Lab or Sourdough Starter have ads?

Neither Fermentation Lab nor Sourdough Starter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fermentation Lab or Sourdough Starter?

Fermentation Lab ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sourdough Starter every 3 days. Most recently, Fermentation Lab was updated on September 23, 2026 and Sourdough Starter on September 14, 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.*