# Bakery vs Striving

The clearest difference is ads: Bakery at none against Striving's shown. Bakery also leads on ratings volume (836 vs 127). Striving's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.4). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bakery sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Striving sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Striving holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bakery has 836 ratings behind it against 127, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Bakery's written reviews are positive against 81% of Striving's.

Bakery ships an update every 6 weeks, Striving every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bakery | Striving |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (836 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bakery-study-timer/id1441084360/reviews) | **[4.8 (127 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/striving-app-and-screen-locker/id1594628904/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **836** | 127 |
| Positive reviews | 64.9% of reviews | **80.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 35 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mighty Fine Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/973529494) | [Shikudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089497060) |

## What reviewers say

### Bakery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bakery-study-timer/id1441084360)

This app encourages users to stay off their phones and focus on real-life tasks like studying or work. It uses a gamified timer where users select a virtual pastry to bake, with the bake progressing while the screen is off. Successful bakes earn coins to unlock new recipes and baked goods.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Virtual pastry baking, Screen-off timer functionality, Earn coins for successful bakes, Unlock new recipes and baked goods, Progress tracking in display case

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clean Slate | $0.99 | one-time |
| Classics Recipe Book | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💫 Cute and motivating design
- 🔒 Keeps user off distracting apps
- 🚀 Helps with productivity and focus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App glitches and bugs
- ⏱️ Lack of pause/break feature
- 💰 Expensive to unlock new recipes

**Reported bugs**

- App resets and loses progress
- Baked goods burn even without using phone
- Unable to exit tutorial or shop screens

**Requested features**

- Add more dessert options
- Implement a total study time tracker
- Allow music playback during sessions
- Include a to-do list or calendar integration


### Striving

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/striving-app-and-screen-locker/id1594628904)

This app helps users combat phone addiction and distractions with a gamified focus timer. It encourages self-control and better time management through in-game achievements and rewards, making it easier to stay on track with important tasks.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Combats phone addiction, Improves self-control, Tracks focus time, In-game achievements and rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro version weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro version monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro version yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bakery free?

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

### Is Striving free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bakery or Striving?

Striving is rated higher. Bakery averages 4.6 out of 5 from 836 ratings, while Striving averages 4.8 from 127 ratings.

### Do Bakery or Striving have ads?

Striving shows ads; Bakery does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bakery or Striving?

Bakery ships an update every 6 weeks, and Striving every 5 weeks. Most recently, Bakery was updated on November 6, 2026 and Striving on November 3, 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.*