Fragrance comparison

Free vs Aram

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 98 ratings analysed

4 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Aram

Olivier Durbano

4.1927 votes

Rank #18,059 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories.

Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Aram
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Free4/7

Aram3/7

Ratings & consensus: Free
Community sentiment: Aram
Longevity: Free
Sillage & projection: Free
Value for money: Free
Versatility: Aram
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Aram

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

AramOlivier Durbano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

4.19/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 18%Had 15%Want 67%

Category winnerFreeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

37%Love

44%Like

19%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

Category winnerAramMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityFree

SillageFree

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value33

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

fresh spicy69%

green61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top30 to 45 minutes

OlibanumIncenseBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

BenzoinLabdanum

Base4 to 6 hours

PatchouliAmberVanilla

Top

GrapefruitElemi resinOlibanumLabdanumArtemisia

Heart

Green TeaAmmoniaDamask RoseAcáciaTobacco

Base

VetiverCedarIncenseBenzoinMyrrh

InformationalShared notesOlibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Free, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer22

Fall100

Winter89

Day58

Night100

Spring92

Summer77

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night40

Category winnerAramMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men44

Unisex56

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#18,059

PerfumerOlivier Durbano

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerAramHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Free by Mark Buxton is a resinous amber fragrance built around warm balsamic woods and dry smoke. The scent opens with a crisp flash of bergamot that quickly gives way to aromatic olibanum and cool incense. As it warms, labdanum and sweet benzoin fill the center, creating a rich resin core without heavy syrup. Earthy …

Reviews →

Olivier Durbano Aram opens with a sharp burst of grapefruit and green artemisia, backed by the resinous warmth of elemi and olibanum. As it develops on skin, a dry green tea note emerges alongside Damascus rose and tobacco, creating a quiet, contemplative atmosphere. The base settles into earthy vetiver, cedar, and sm…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Free or Aram?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Aram is rated 4.19/5 from 27 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Aram for a citrus and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Aram?

Free lasts longest (Free 70/100, Aram 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Aram?

Free projects furthest (Free 67/100, Aram 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Aram smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and woody accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Aram better for summer or winter?

For summer, Aram is the stronger pick. For winter, Free is the stronger pick. Free suits evening wear; Aram suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Free and Aram?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Aram has top notes of Grapefruit, Elemi resin, Olibanum and Labdanum, heart notes of Green Tea, Ammonia, Damask Rose and Acácia, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Incense and Benzoin.