Comparison

Companions vs elsehear

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Companions

Add a virtual aquarium to your iPhone's Home Screen. Customize your tank with various fish and backgrounds. Enjoy your aquatic companions without the need for maintenance.

Highlights
  • Live fish widget for Home Screen
  • Customizable fish and tank styles
  • Multiple fish packs available
  • Interactive bubble feature
  • Supports five fish per tank
  • Multiple widget sizes
Features
Read full description

A little fish tank, right on your Home Screen. Pick your fish, give them names, and see them every time you unlock your iPhone. No feeding, no cleaning, no guilt. Just a few bright companions who are always there. YOUR OWN TANK Add a fish and watch it drop into the water with a splash. Then give it a name: your best friend, a K-pop star you love, the cast of your favourite sitcom. Tap the glass and a puff of bubbles rises. Or just watch. Every fish swims in its own way, at its own pace, and lets out the odd little bubble. There's room for five, so each one gets a name and a place of its own. YOUR FISH, ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Add the Companions widget and your tank is there every time you glance at your phone. Same fish, same water, no need to open the app. The widget comes in small, medium and large, and the app shows you exactly how each size will look before you place it. MAKE IT YOURS Choose from four tank styles: Minimal, Twilight, Pond and Reed. Pick one and your widget changes to match. MEET THE FISH Every tank starts with a Tang, a Sardine and a Puffer. Want more company? • Reef Pack: Clownfish, Moorish Idol, Regal Tang, Parrotfish and Lionfish. • Pond Pack: Koi, Gold Koi, Catfish, Trout and Terrapin. • Sea Creatures Pack: Sea Turtle, Seahorse, Squid, Jellyfish and Octopus. • Shark Pack: Great White, Manta, Hammerhead, Whale Shark and Thresher. • Whale Pack: Dolphin, Orca, Blue Whale, Sperm Whale and Humpback. • Pond Creatures Pack: Minnow, Axolotl, Frog, Toad and Tadpole. MADE WITH CARE Companions is made by one person in South Korea. If there's a fish you'd love to see, or anything else on your mind, email me from Settings and I'll reply personally. Available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

elsehear

Features
Read full description

Listen to real places around the world, live. Browse places around the world and tune into their live soundscapes. Discover the coordinates and stories behind the sounds you hear. Tap "Take me somewhere" and let Elsehear choose your next destination. Save your favorite places and return to them whenever you like. Favorites sync across your iPhones when you sign in with the same Apple account. See your current place and playback status on the Lock Screen with Live Activities. Browse places and control playback on your paired iPhone with the Apple Watch companion. Available in English, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, French, and German. Elsehear is an art project for sharing the sounds of the world. With thanks to Locus Sonus and the contributors who keep these open microphones listening. Sign in with Apple and an internet connection are required. Audio comes from live sources, so sounds and stream availability vary. Be here, hear elsewhere.

Screenshots

Companions4 screens
elsehear4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: elsehear at none against Companions's 10. elsehear also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Companions sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. elsehear asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Companions ships an update every 2 days, elsehear every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Companions versus elsehear: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompanionselsehear
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTiaan Johan van der Rieldohyun ahn

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Companions

Subscriptions1
  • All Fish$3.491 Month
One-time9
  • Whale Pack$1.99
  • Pond Creatures Pack$1.99
  • Reef Pack 2$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Freshwater Pack 2$1.99
  • Reef Pack$1.99
  • Sea Creatures Pack$1.99
  • Shark Pack$1.99
  • Pond Pack$1.99
  • All Fish Lifetime$34.99
None

elsehear

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Companions free?
Companions is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is elsehear free?
elsehear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Companions or elsehear have ads?
Neither Companions nor elsehear shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Companions or elsehear?
Companions ships an update every 2 days, and elsehear every 3 days. Most recently, Companions was updated on October 25, 2026 and elsehear on October 24, 2026.

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