Comparison

TimeStory vs Elysium Productivity

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TimeStory

Create visual timelines for projects, journals, and histories with intuitive touch gestures. Easily add images, customize appearance, and export your work in various formats. Optimized for iPad with Apple Pencil and multitasking support.

Highlights
  • Create graphical timelines
  • Add photos and image files
  • Divide timeline into sections
  • Import custom icons
  • Customize appearance (colors, fonts, shapes)
  • Export in PDF or PNG format
  • Apple Pencil and keyboard support
Features
Read full description

TimeStory for iPad/iPhone is a paid app (one-time purchase or annual subscription) for creating graphical timelines--project plans, roadmaps, personal journals, histories, and more, on scales from days to centuries--quickly and easily, while avoiding the complexity of project management tools. The free download lets you open, view, and share timelines created on TimeStory for Mac. If you want to create and edit timelines on your iPad/iPhone, you can activate the built-in free trial, and then, if you choose, pay once or subscribe annually. The free trial does not auto-renew into a subscription, so there’s no risk. Use natural touchscreen gestures to navigate and scale the timeline. Create an event just by tapping one of the New Event buttons then tapping or dragging on the timeline where you want it. Attach photos or image files. Divide your timeline into sections. Import your own SVG or PNG icons to mark points in time. Apply background colors, fonts, event shapes, text alignment, and more. Share your work in PDF or PNG format, exporting an entire timeline or just a section of it. On iPad, TimeStory has great support for Apple Pencil and external keyboards and pointers, works great in Split View and other multitasking modes, and supports multiple windows so you can open multiple documents at once or keep it open next to your research. Versions: This version of TimeStory was built to natively support iPad and iPhone. **Note: TimeStory for Mac is a separate purchase.** More info at https://timestory.app/get/ Web: Learn more on our website (https://timestory.app/), with example timelines, release history, and documentation. (Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/)

About

Elysium Productivity

Features
Read full description

Elysium is a local-first planner and calendar built for people who want control over their time — and their data. After trying countless planning apps, it became clear that most tools force you into rigid systems, lock your data away, or charge ongoing fees just to manage your own life. Elysium was built to be different. Your data lives locally, in human-readable files. Nothing is trapped behind a server or subscription. You can use Elysium completely offline, customize it deeply, and extend it over time — without being boxed into someone else’s workflow. Elysium brings together planning, scheduling, and habit-tracking in a way that adapts to you, not the other way around. Key principles • Local-first by design — your data stays on your device • User-owned files — portable, readable, and future-proof • Flexible scheduling — tasks, events, goals, habits, appointments, reminders and projects in one system • Customizable workflows — shape the app around how you think and style it to match your unique requirements • Extensible foundation — designed to grow with with you and extend beyond the core functionality • Calm, focused interface — by default the screens are simple, but you can make them as complicated and colorful as you like Whether you’re planning your day, managing long-term goals, or building your own productivity system, Elysium gives you the structure you need without taking control away from you. No ads. No surveillance. No forced subscriptions. We only charge for things that actually cost us money, like cloud syncing on the Basic plan and server resources for collaboration and team management on the Pro plan. Just a tool designed to respect you and your time. Terms of Use: https://elysium.is/terms

Screenshots

TimeStory4 screens
Elysium Productivity4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Elysium Productivity at every 2 weeks against TimeStory's every 6 weeks. Elysium Productivity also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TimeStory sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Elysium Productivity sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TimeStory ships an update every 6 weeks, Elysium Productivity every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TimeStory versus Elysium Productivity: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimeStoryElysium Productivity
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCasual Programmer, LLCRyan Russell

In-app purchases

3 purchases

TimeStory

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • Two-Week TrialFree
  • One-Time Purchase$39.99
8 purchases

Elysium Productivity

Subscriptions8
  • Basic (Monthly)$5.001 Month
  • AI (Monthly)$6.001 Month
  • Basic + AI (Monthly)$10.001 Month
Show 5 more
  • Pro (Monthly)$20.001 Month
  • Basic (Annual)$50.001 Year
  • AI (Annual)$60.001 Year
  • Basic + AI (Annual)$100.001 Year
  • Pro (Annual)$200.001 Year

Questions

Is TimeStory free?
TimeStory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elysium Productivity free?
Elysium Productivity is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TimeStory or Elysium Productivity have ads?
Neither TimeStory nor Elysium Productivity shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TimeStory or Elysium Productivity?
TimeStory ships an update every 6 weeks, and Elysium Productivity every 2 weeks. Most recently, TimeStory was updated on September 25, 2026 and Elysium Productivity on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons