Comparison

Reading List vs Ice Study

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

Head to head
About

Reading List

Features
Read full description

Reading List is a simple tool for saving article links to read later. Features: - Save links to inbox for later reading - Share webpages from anywhere - Archive / Star articles, keep the inbox clean - iCloud sync - Supports iPhone, iPad, iPad Touch, and Mac - iPad OS drag & drop, split view - Dark mode - Use Shortcuts to add the article

About

Ice Study

A calming focus timer that uses the visual of melting ice to encourage concentration during study or work sessions. It offers customizable durations, Pomodoro mode, and ambient sounds to create a distraction-free environment.

Highlights
  • Visual melting ice timer
  • Customizable focus durations
  • Pomodoro mode with breaks
  • Ambient soundscapes
  • Daily goal and streak tracking
  • Minimalist interface
Features
Read full description

Ice Study is a calm visual focus timer for studying, deep work, and Pomodoro sessions. Pick a duration, start your session, and watch a cup of ice slowly melt as you focus. No anxious progress bars. No noisy pressure. Just ice becoming water while you get work done. A focus timer you can feel Choose 25, 50, or 90 minutes, or set your own custom focus session. As time passes, the ice cubes shrink, water rises, droplets form on the glass, and tiny drips fall. When the ice is gone, your session is complete. Pomodoro mode for study sessions Use four 25-minute focus blocks with 5-minute breaks between them. After each break, the cup refills so you can begin the next round with a clean visual reset. Built for calm deep focus Ice Study helps students, writers, coders, remote workers, and people who prefer ADHD-friendly focus routines stay with one task at a time. The app is intentionally minimal, so you can focus without social pressure, aggressive gamification, or clutter. Ambient sounds for concentration Add rain, cafe ambience, ocean waves, or warm white noise when you want a softer study environment. Keep it quiet when you prefer silence. Gentle progress without shame Track daily goals and streaks in a lightweight way. Ice Study encourages consistency without nagging you or making productivity feel stressful. No account required Your sessions, streaks, goals, and preferences are stored locally on your device. Use Ice Study for Study sessions, exam prep, homework, reading, writing, coding, remote work, deep work, ADHD-friendly focus routines, Pomodoro sessions, and quiet productivity. Focus until the ice melts. Privacy Policy: https://icestudy.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Reading List4 screens
Ice Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ice Study at Free against Reading List's $1.99. Ice Study also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Reading List's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support 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

Ice Study is free to download; Reading List costs $1.99 up front. Ice Study sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Reading List asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading List ships an update every 4 months, Ice Study monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Reading List versus Ice Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading ListIce Study
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Ad-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB40 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer晓涛 王JTR Labs LLC

In-app purchases

None

Reading List

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ice Study

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$9.99

Questions

Is Reading List free?
Reading List costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ice Study free?
Ice Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reading List or Ice Study have ads?
Ice Study shows ads; Reading List does not.
Which is updated more often, Reading List or Ice Study?
Reading List ships an update every 4 months, and Ice Study monthly. Most recently, Reading List was updated on November 7, 2026 and Ice Study on November 5, 2026.

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