# The Waves. vs Hold

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hold at every 3 weeks against The Waves.'s every 2 months. Hold also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Waves. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hold sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Waves. ships an update every 2 months, Hold every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Waves. | Hold |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hold-pause-cravings/id6777215270/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 60 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Oscar Fogelstrom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885633917) | [Arnav Goel](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777215272) |

## What reviewers say

### The Waves.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-waves/id6761295581)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Wave | $0.99 | one-time |
| Steady Tide | $3.99 | one-time |
| Deep Ocean | $9.99 | one-time |


### Hold

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hold-pause-cravings/id6777215270)

This app offers a guided pause to help you manage emotional eating and cravings. It provides a 10-minute mindfulness exercise to create space between an urge and your reaction, helping you build a healthier relationship with food.

**Highlights:** Guided 10-minute pause timer, Identify emotional triggers, Log comfort swaps and outcomes, Track eating patterns over time, Personalized risk map, Weekly recaps and charts

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hold Plus Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Hold Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Waves. free?

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

### Is Hold free?

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

### Do The Waves. or Hold have ads?

Neither The Waves. nor Hold shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Waves. or Hold?

The Waves. ships an update every 2 months, and Hold every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Waves. was updated on October 12, 2026 and Hold on September 30, 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.*