# Special Dates vs Automation Control

The clearest difference is rating: Automation Control at 4.8 against Special Dates's 4.0. Automation Control also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (80% vs 63%). Special Dates's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Special Dates sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Automation Control sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Automation Control holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Special Dates's written reviews are positive against 80% of Automation Control's.

Special Dates ships an update every 4 months, Automation Control weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Special Dates | Automation Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488/reviews) | **[4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/automation-control/id6737158540/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ernesto Fernández Calles](https://appshunter.io/developer/548312732) | [Jerrod Banks](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775007673) |

## What reviewers say

### Special Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488)

Easily save and track important dates with a minimalist countdown widget. This app helps you remember upcoming events like birthdays or bills, syncing them across your devices.

**Highlights:** Save important dates, Track days remaining, Periodic event saving, Birthday reminders, Bill tracking, iOS 14 widget support, Cross-device syncing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cake | $2.99 | one-time |
| Party | $4.99 | one-time |


### Automation Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/automation-control/id6737158540)

Enhance your existing automation workflows with advanced management and conditional execution. This tool allows you to enable, disable, or pause automations based on specific criteria like time, location, or focus modes. It provides a centralized dashboard for organizing and monitoring your automated tasks.

**Highlights:** Conditional execution of automations, Enable/disable/pause automations, Sort and filter automations, Backup and restore configurations, Log view for completed automations, Set conditions (Date, Time, Location, Focus Modes, Weather), Search and pin automations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Special Dates free?

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

### Is Automation Control free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Special Dates or Automation Control?

Automation Control is rated higher. Special Dates averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Automation Control averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Special Dates or Automation Control have ads?

Neither Special Dates nor Automation Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Special Dates or Automation Control?

Special Dates ships an update every 4 months, and Automation Control weekly. Most recently, Special Dates was updated on September 19, 2026 and Automation Control on June 10, 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.*