# Ref Guide for Essential Oils vs Menu Minder

The clearest difference is price: Menu Minder at Free against Ref Guide for Essential Oils's $4.99. Ref Guide for Essential Oils's advantage is chart position (#48 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Menu Minder is free to download; Ref Guide for Essential Oils costs $4.99 up front. Ref Guide for Essential Oils sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Menu Minder sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ref Guide for Essential Oils | Menu Minder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ref-guide-for-essential-oils/id937793199/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **47** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#48** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Abundant Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/937793198) | [menuminder llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732021498) |

## What reviewers say

### Ref Guide for Essential Oils

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

**Currently charting:** #48 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


### Menu Minder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/menu-minder/id6478162506)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |


## 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 Menu Minder free?

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

### Do Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Menu Minder have ads?

Neither Ref Guide for Essential Oils nor Menu Minder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ref Guide for Essential Oils or Menu Minder?

Ref Guide for Essential Oils ships an update every 3 months, and Menu Minder every 3 months. Most recently, Ref Guide for Essential Oils was updated on October 13, 2026 and Menu Minder on September 11, 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.*