# Session vs Routine

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Session at 77% against Routine's 37%. Session also leads on ratings volume (936 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 17.0). Routine's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Routine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Session has 936 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Session's written reviews are positive against 37% of Routine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Session ships an update every 4 months, Routine weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Session | Routine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (936 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-activity-timer/id1493474157/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routine-calendars-and-tasks/id1548507969/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **936** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **76.8% of reviews** | 36.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Glasshouse Studio, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493474156) | [Routine](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532726182) |

## What reviewers say

### Session

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/session-activity-timer/id1493474157)

Track your progress towards mastering skills by logging dedicated practice time. Manually log sessions or use the automatic timer to record your efforts. Start making measurable progress on your goals today.

**Highlights:** Create custom activities, Manual session logging, Automatic timer, Track progress towards goals, Skill mastery tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Aesthetically pleasing
- ⏱️ Helpful for time management
- 💻 Simple and easy to use
- 🧠 Motivating for productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when trying to edit activities
- 🔍 Lack of customization options (e.g. color, icon, order)
- 🗑️ No ability to delete activities
- ⏱️ Timer issues (stops unexpectedly, doesn't continue in background)

**Reported bugs**

- Timer inconsistencies when exiting the app
- Inability to add time manually (only minutes, not hours)
- App crashes when trying to add a session manually

**Requested features**

- Add delete and rename session functions
- Implement activity editing (color, icon, name, description)
- Provide activity reordering capability
- Include activity time tracking by day/week/month/year
- Add Pomodoro timer functionality


### Routine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routine-calendars-and-tasks/id1548507969)

Organize your life, work, and projects with a unified platform for tasks, calendars, notes, and reminders. Seamlessly integrate with your favorite tools and block out time for focused work.

**Highlights:** Unified task, calendar, and note management, Time blocking and scheduling, Integration with popular tools (Gmail, Notion, Trello), Cross-device synchronization, Customizable data entities, Contact management, Voice commands and widgets

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Clean, modern interface
- 💡 Excellent concept and potential
- 🔄 Integrates calendar, notes, tasks
- 🧠 ADHD-friendly design
- 💻 Superior desktop app experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐌 Slow loading times
- 🔄 Syncing issues with Google Tasks
- 🤔 Confusing recurring task management
- ⚠️ Google account required for access

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on launch
- Crashing on boot after setting up Google calendar
- App freezes and data disappears
- Tasks duplicated
- Calendar events not saving

**Requested features**

- Improve task editing and usability
- Better recurring task management
- Automatic sync with Google Tasks
- Develop iPad version
- Add repeat function for appointments (daily, weekly, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Session free?

Session is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Routine free?

Routine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Session or Routine?

Routine is rated higher. Session averages 4.7 out of 5 from 936 ratings, while Routine averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Session or Routine have ads?

Neither Session nor Routine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Session or Routine?

Session ships an update every 4 months, and Routine weekly. Most recently, Session was updated on November 3, 2026 and Routine on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*