Comparison

Principal Task vs Life Compass

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

Head to head
About

Principal Task

This app helps you manage tasks by tracking your completion rate against new tasks created. It offers a unique 'Task Velocity' score to show if you're keeping up with your workload. Organize with folders, contexts, and priorities, with advanced features available through a premium subscription.

Highlights
  • Task Velocity score
  • GTD-native structure
  • Due dates and repeating tasks
  • Markdown support
  • Kanban boards
  • Private templates
Features
Read full description

Track your Task Velocity — the ratio of tasks you complete against the ones you create, updated every day. See at a glance whether you're ahead or falling behind, not just what's on your list. Principal Task is a GTD-native task manager built for people who've outgrown to-do apps. Folders, contexts, priorities, statuses, and unlimited nested subtasks — organized the way real work actually happens. TASK VELOCITY Your 30-day completed-vs-created ratio, shown as a simple multiplier. Free members see their current score. Premium unlocks the full history, filterable by folder, context, priority, and status. SYSTEM HEALTH A live verdict — Healthy, Strained, or Overloaded — so you know where things stand today, separate from where they're heading. BUILT FOR GTD Folders and sub-folders, contexts, priorities, statuses, and stars. Subtasks nest as deep as you need, with independent completion — no forced parent-child status. KANBAN, HEATMAP, TEMPLATES See your work as a board. Watch your activity over time. Turn repeatable processes into templates you can apply in one tap. BUILT FOR AI ASSISTANTS Principal Task connects to AI assistants over MCP — read and write your tasks, subtasks, and folders directly from the assistant you already use. SHARE WITHOUT FRICTION Share a task list with a four-word link. No account required to view. You control how long it stays open. Free, no credit card. Premium is about $3/month or $24/year, and it doesn't limit how much you can do — it unlocks Task Velocity history, Kanban, the Activity Heatmap, and private templates. Principal Task. Software that gets out of the way. Terms of Use: https://principaltask.com/terms

About

Life Compass

Features
Read full description

Life Compass is a habit tracker and goal planner that turns “I should” into “I did.” Whether you need a routine tracker, streak tracker, or a simple daily planner, Life Compass helps you build routines, stay accountable, and make progress you can see. BUILD HABITS THAT STICK • Create daily, weekly, or custom habits in seconds • Keep momentum with streaks, progress charts, and completion history • Set goals and track them alongside your habits (one place, one plan) REMINDERS + REAL-TIME STATS • Gentle reminders that fit your schedule • See what’s working with trends, breakdowns, and consistency stats • Unlock premium analytics and advanced insights when you want to go deeper SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY (SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY) • Share wins, stay motivated, and encourage friends • Get real accountability without pressure or spam PRIVATE & SYNCED • Your data stays safe and synced across devices Perfect for: gym, walking, meditation, reading, studying, journaling, hydration, sleep, and any self-improvement habits. Start small. Stay consistent. Achieve more with Life Compass.tart small. Stay consistent. Achieve more with Life Compass. Terms of Service: https://devnautica.ro/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://devnautica.ro/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Principal Task4 screens
Life Compass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Life Compass at every 3 weeks against Principal Task's every 3 months. Principal Task's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and 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

Both are free to download. Principal Task sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Life Compass sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Principal Task ships an update every 3 months, Life Compass every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Principal Task versus Life Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrincipal TaskLife Compass
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB78 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperZechariah SchwenkDEVNAUTICA STUDIO S.R.L.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Principal Task

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$29.991 Year
6 purchases

Life Compass

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium7 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • Annual Premium7 Days trial$27.991 Year
One-time4
  • Starter Pack$1.99
  • Popular Pack$5.99
  • Premium Pack$19.99
Show 1 more
  • Lifetime Premium$39.99

Questions

Is Principal Task free?
Principal Task is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Life Compass free?
Life Compass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Principal Task or Life Compass have ads?
Neither Principal Task nor Life Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Principal Task or Life Compass?
Principal Task ships an update every 3 months, and Life Compass every 3 weeks. Most recently, Principal Task was updated on October 1, 2026 and Life Compass on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons