Comparison

Now vs Amba

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

Head to head
About

Now

Features
Read full description

Now from KREDOR is an FREE messaging app that makes it easier for people to self-organize and self-govern. Public/Private channels and Communities Keep in touch with friends, family, coworkers, service providers or like-minded people by creating a private or public channel, or joining one, including such with geo-filtering. Group related channels into a community with features such as auto-invitations and auto-forwarding. Send many different types of messages Staying in touch has never been easier. Send a free text, photo, video, task, proposition, event, ad, etc. message. You can create custom message types. Users can comment and act on messages in various ways to the messages depending on their type. Filter for specific type of messages View only a specific type of messages across channels to focus on your immediate goal. View and filter channel content on a map Find and locate what you need near you. Sophisticated decision making Use proposition and election messages for sophisticated group decision making. Manage member rights (vote, veto, comment). Coordinating and sharing Easily coordinate with your friends & family joint activities and responsibilities via plain or specialised interactive messages. Events Easily create & find nearby events. Services Easily find and access on demand services for your topic

About

Amba

This app helps you regain control over social media usage by creating a mindful pause before accessing apps. It uses a physical tag to unlock your chosen applications, breaking impulsive habits and fostering intentional use for increased focus and clarity.

Highlights
  • Physical tag for app access
  • Breaks impulsive app usage
  • Fosters intentional social media use
  • Increases focus and clarity
  • Easy NFC tag setup
  • Flexible session ending
Read full description

Your conscious pause before the algorithm pulls you in. Have you tried to cut your screen time, only to fall right back into the same apps again? No hard blocks. No frustrating lockouts. Amba solves the problem at its root: not by banning social media, but by helping you choose when you want to use it. How Amba Works With the Amba Tag, a small keychain, your social media apps only unlock when you tap the tag intentionally. No tag = no social apps. This creates a short pause and breaks the automatic "I opened Instagram without even thinking." Fewer impulses. More awareness. One simple motion that puts you back in control every single time. Why Amba Works Studies show that even tiny hurdles can dramatically reduce impulsive app usage. Amba uses exactly that - paired with a physical, everyday ritual. You interrupt the habit loop right at the moment your brain normally goes on autopilot. - No "reset" tricks - No complicated rules Just a clear moment to breathe before you slip into the app. Perfect for you if youโ€ฆ - scroll "just for a second" and lose 20 minutes - end up on TikTok for hours in the evening - want to use social media intentionally, not endlessly - want more focus, calmness, and mental clarity - want to work more productively and reduce impulsive checking More focus. Fewer dopamine Traps. Amba creates space for real concentration. And if you finish earlier than planned, you can end your session right away - flexible, with zero penalties. Built for iPhone. Easy to set up. - Connect your NFC tag in seconds - Select the apps you want to protect - Done - from now on, you decide the moment Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Now4 screens
Amba4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Now at none against Amba's 3. Now also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18). Amba's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Amba sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Now asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Now ships an update every 6 weeks, Amba every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 5 level
Now versus Amba: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNowAmba
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 8 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 โ€” better18
Further details โ€” not scored
Size61 MB57 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOrlin TODOROVAmba UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)

In-app purchases

None

Now

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Amba

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual14 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Now free?
Now is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Amba free?
Amba is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Now or Amba have ads?
Neither Now nor Amba shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Now or Amba?
Now ships an update every 6 weeks, and Amba every 8 days. Most recently, Now was updated on October 27, 2026 and Amba on October 30, 2026.

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