# Ref Guide for Essential Oils vs Modern Essentials Plus

Ref Guide for Essential Oils and Modern Essentials Plus both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 59% of Ref Guide for Essential Oils's written reviews are positive against 17% of Modern Essentials Plus's. Ref Guide for Essential Oils also leads on ratings volume (47 vs 13). Modern Essentials Plus's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and price ($3.99 vs $4.99). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Ref Guide for Essential Oils costs $4.99 and Modern Essentials Plus $3.99 up front. Ref Guide for Essential Oils sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Modern Essentials Plus sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Ref Guide for Essential Oils against 3.9 for Modern Essentials Plus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Ref Guide for Essential Oils's written reviews are positive against 17% of Modern Essentials Plus's.

Ref Guide for Essential Oils ships an update every 3 months, Modern Essentials Plus every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ref Guide for Essential Oils | Modern Essentials Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$3.99** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ref-guide-for-essential-oils/id937793199/reviews)** | [3.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modern-essentials-plus/id1391084560/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **47** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **58.5% of reviews** | 16.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #73 | **#46** |
| Size | 47 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Abundant Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/937793198) | [AromaTools](https://appshunter.io/developer/533956713) |

## What reviewers say

### Ref Guide for Essential Oils

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ref-guide-for-essential-oils/id937793199)

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Paid · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive guide to essential oils and related products, offering quick information for supporting health and wellness. It includes detailed product information, everyday tips, recipes, and application instructions for hundreds of health conditions.

**Highlights:** Quick on-the-go information, Detailed product information, Everyday tips and recipes, Essential oil application instructions, Search and note-taking, Information on single oils and blends

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive essential oil information and reference
- 🔍 Easy search functionality by oil or ailment
- 📱 Convenient portable access without carrying physical books
- ✅ Well-organized and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Detailed information on oil properties and applications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Unfair pricing model with upfront cost plus subscription fees
- 🔄 Lack of regular updates for new oils and products
- ❌ Outdated product information and discontinued items still listed
- 🐛 Notes section frequently buggy and unreliable
- 🔧 App crashes and black screen issues

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen when opening app or selecting options
- App crashes and stops working after updates
- Notes disappear or move to wrong oil categories
- Notes section doesn't allow text entry
- Contact and bug report links are broken/non-functional

**Requested features**

- Regular updates for new oils and reformulated blends
- Personal inventory tracking system
- Shopping list for oils running low or needed
- Ability to mark favorite oils or oils you own
- Click-through navigation from ailments to specific oils


### Modern Essentials Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modern-essentials-plus/id1391084560)

**Currently charting:** #46 Top Paid · Health & Fitness (US App Store)

This app provides comprehensive information on essential oils, including uses, blends, and application methods. It offers solutions for various health conditions, personal care, and home needs, with features to organize and personalize your oil usage.

**Highlights:** Essential oil uses and blends, Condition and symptom search, Simple Solutions protocols, Personal care recipes, Oil inventory tracking, Favorite product marking

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Full Access (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| English language | $3.99 | one-time |
| Idioma português | $3.99 | one-time |
| Lengua española | $3.99 | one-time |
| Italian Language | $3.99 | one-time |
| Russian Language | $3.99 | one-time |
| Japanese Language | $3.99 | one-time |
| Simplified Chinese | $3.99 | one-time |
| Korean Language | $3.99 | one-time |
| German Language | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful resource for essential oils
- 👍 Practical and complete information
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Good for quick reference
- 👍 Worth the small investment (for some)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open
- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Outdated content, not updated
- 🐛 Subscription model is disliked

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately upon opening
- App stops functioning entirely
- Search functionality not working
- App closes automatically when opening
- App freezes on loading screen

**Requested features**

- Update app with new oils
- Add original blend names in English
- Allow entering special oils into inventory
- Improve inventory section (quantity, size, location)
- Add dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ref Guide for Essential Oils free?

Ref Guide for Essential Oils costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Modern Essentials Plus free?

Modern Essentials Plus costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Modern Essentials Plus?

Ref Guide for Essential Oils is rated higher. Ref Guide for Essential Oils averages 4.0 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Modern Essentials Plus averages 3.9 from 13 ratings.

### Do Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Modern Essentials Plus have ads?

Neither Ref Guide for Essential Oils nor Modern Essentials Plus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Modern Essentials Plus?

Ref Guide for Essential Oils ships an update every 3 months, and Modern Essentials Plus every 5 weeks. Most recently, Ref Guide for Essential Oils was updated on October 13, 2026 and Modern Essentials Plus on October 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Modern Essentials Plus?

Ref Guide for Essential Oils currently peaks at #73 in the App Store charts, and Modern Essentials Plus at #46. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*