Fragrance comparison

Free vs Le Numero Cinq

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 84 ratings analysed

4 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Le Numero Cinq

Molyneux

4.1513 votes

Rank #37,907 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 4 of 5 categories.

Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Le Numero Cinq
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Free4/5

Le Numero Cinq0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

Le Numero CinqMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

4.15/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 38%Had 10%Want 52%

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

46%Love

38%Like

0%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityFree

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value50

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

iris84%

earthy77%

powdery69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both warm spicy 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

AldehydesNeroliBergamotPeach

Heart

OrrisCarnationYlang-YlangPlumOrange Blossom

Base

IncenseSandalwoodOakmossClovesLabdanumPatchouliBenzoinAmber

InformationalShared notesIncense, Bergamot, 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

Spring20

Summer0

Fall80

Winter100

Day60

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#37,907

PerfumerJacques Vogel

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerFreeHigher 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 →

Le Numero Cinq by Molyneux opens with a crisp burst of fizzy aldehydes, tart bergamot, and sweet sun-warmed peach. As it settles onto the skin, earthy orris root emerges alongside spicy carnation and dark, stewed plum. The foundation dries down into a rich base of smoky oakmoss, dark patchouli, warm cloves, and sweet …

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 Le Numero Cinq?

Free takes 4 of 5 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Le Numero Cinq is rated 4.15/5 from 13 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Le Numero Cinq for a warm spicy and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Le Numero Cinq?

They last about the same: Free 70/100, Le Numero Cinq 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Free or Le Numero Cinq?

Projection is very close: Free 67/100, Le Numero Cinq 67/100 for sillage.

Do Free and Le Numero Cinq smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Incense, Bergamot, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Le Numero Cinq better for summer or winter?

Free suits evening wear; Le Numero Cinq suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Free and Le Numero Cinq?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Le Numero Cinq has top notes of Aldehydes, Neroli, Bergamot and Peach, heart notes of Orris, Carnation, Ylang-Ylang and Plum, a base of Incense, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Cloves.