# Special Dates vs Things take time

The clearest difference is rating: Things take time at 5.0 against Special Dates's 4.0. Things take time also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Special Dates's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (3 vs 1). 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 Things take time sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Things take time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Special Dates's written reviews are positive against 100% of Things take time's.

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, Things take time weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Special Dates | Things take time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-dates/id1532853488/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/things-take-time-life-tracker/id6758779782/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ernesto Fernández Calles](https://appshunter.io/developer/548312732) | [Chester How](https://appshunter.io/developer/1640687549) |

## 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 |


### Things take time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/things-take-time-life-tracker/id6758779782)

This app helps you track small, consistent actions to visualize compounding progress over time. Monitor habits, routines, and personal metrics with detailed analytics and a unique side-by-side view of multiple trackers. Designed for ease of use and privacy, it makes invisible progress visible.

**Highlights:** Track any habit or metric, View multiple trackers side-by-side, Monthly progress overview, Intuitive and fast interface, Detailed analytics for patterns, On-device and iCloud privacy

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Things take time + Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Things take time + Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Special Dates free?

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

### Is Things take time free?

Things take time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Special Dates or Things take time?

Things take time is rated higher. Special Dates averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Things take time averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do Special Dates or Things take time have ads?

Neither Special Dates nor Things take time shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Special Dates or Things take time?

Special Dates ships an update every 3 months, and Things take time weekly. Most recently, Special Dates was updated on November 3, 2026 and Things take time on November 5, 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.*