# The Machinist vs AA Grapevine

The clearest difference is update cadence: AA Grapevine at every 4 weeks against The Machinist's every 16 months. AA Grapevine also leads on chart position (#61 vs unranked). The Machinist's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Machinist sells 36 one-off in-app purchases and AA Grapevine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Machinist ships an update every 16 months, AA Grapevine every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Machinist | AA Grapevine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-grapevine/id6450056498/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **87** |
| Positive reviews | — | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#61** |
| Size | 17 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [WORLDWIDE MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607506365) | [AA Grapevine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1105305231) |

## What reviewers say

### The Machinist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-machinist/id921615326)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (36)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Machinist - May 2023 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - June 2023 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - July 2023 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - August 2023 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - July 2025 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - June 2025 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - May 2025 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - April 2023 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - September 2023 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - October 2023 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - November 2023 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - December 2023 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - January 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - August 2026 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - September 2026 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - September 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - October 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - August 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - November 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - March 2026 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - February 2026 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - April 2026 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - April 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - March 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - Feb 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - January 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - November 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - December 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - February 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - March 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - April 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - June 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - September 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - July 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - August 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |
| The Machinist - October 2024 | $1.99 | one-time |


### AA Grapevine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aa-grapevine/id6450056498)

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #114 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous, featuring articles, a podcast, and a daily quote. Enhance your sobriety journey with a calculator, events calendar, and exclusive spiritual maintenance tools. Share your experiences and connect with a supportive community.

**Highlights:** Monthly magazine access, Article archives, Podcast player, Daily quote, Sobriety calculator, AA events calendar, Spiritual maintenance checklist

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grapevine Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Grapevine Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app concept
- 👍 Helpful individual stories
- 👍 Content is valuable for recovery
- 👍 Audio is great
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constant subscription verification issues
- 🐛 App is buggy
- 🐛 Difficult to recommend app
- 🐛 Restore option never works
- 🐛 Cannot access current issue

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription verification issues
- App is buggy
- Restore subscription option never works
- Cannot access current issue
- App repeatedly states user is not subscribed

**Requested features**

- Native iPad version needed
- Improve iPad usability for visually impaired
- Fix app bugs
- Add a way to change password
- Improve archive search functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Machinist free?

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

### Is AA Grapevine free?

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

### Do The Machinist or AA Grapevine have ads?

Neither The Machinist nor AA Grapevine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Machinist or AA Grapevine?

The Machinist ships an update every 16 months, and AA Grapevine every 4 weeks. Most recently, The Machinist was updated on October 26, 2026 and AA Grapevine on October 26, 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.*