Comparison

ChallengeUp vs Cold Message

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

Head to head
About

ChallengeUp

This app helps you build new habits, improve self-care, or break bad ones with a structured, short-term challenge system. Focus on achieving goals within 7 to 60 days to experience lasting change without the pressure of lifelong commitment.

Highlights
  • Short challenge system (7-60 days)
  • Create custom challenges
  • Track progress visually
  • Receive goal reminders
  • Share progress on social media
  • Access useful challenge tips
Features
Read full description

A challenge isn't about "changing your life in a month." It's about "trying 30 days and seeing what happens." ChallengeUp is an app for short challenges: ready-made ones from 7 to 90 days, custom ones for any length. No endless "lifelong" trackers, no promises of a "new you." Just a clear format: pick a challenge, cross the finish line, see the result. WHAT'S INSIDE 10 ready-made challenges, free. From "no sugar" to "sleep before midnight," from "read every day" to "learn a foreign language." Each one comes with a clear description — what to do, why, and what to expect. Build your own in 30 seconds. Name, duration, frequency, reminders — and you're ready. No required fields, no endless setup screens. A finish line that motivates. Every challenge ends. It's not the "forever habit" that wears you out by week three. It's a defined distance with a finish — and the feeling of "I did it." Progress cards for social media. Share your wins with people who matter — close ones, friends, followers. Get support when you need it, and lock in the result by saying it out loud. The cards are drawn so they're a pleasure to share. No ads. Ever. Not in the free version, not anywhere else. ChallengeUp Plus When the free version isn't enough: — Unlimited active challenges (up to 3 in free) — Expanded catalog of exclusive challenges, with more added over time — Duration up to 1000 days — nearly three years of practice, for those who want to go long — Home screen widget — Additional colors and customization — Support for an independent dev team WHY A CHALLENGE Most habit trackers are built on the idea of a "forever" habit — you should brush your teeth or meditate every day for the rest of your life, and a single miss breaks everything. This rarely works, because the brain isn't built for infinite distances. According to Lally et al. (2009), a stable habit forms in about 66 days, not the often-cited 21. A short challenge is a way to cover that distance without burning out: with a visible finish, and the right to stop if it's not for you. ChallengeUp is an independent app. We're not building "another habit tracker." We're building the app we'd want to use for our own challenges: no fluff, no features for the sake of features, no pointless push notifications. Just what works. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://challengeupapp.com/privacy2026

About

Cold Message

Features
Read full description

Cold Message это инструмент для уверенности перед первым шагом. Когда знакомство начинается, чаще всего мешает не отсутствие идей, а сомнения. Приложение помогает быстро проверить сообщение и понять: • достаточно ли в нём конкретики • есть ли открытый вопрос • не звучит ли оно банально • нет ли давления Вы пишете сами приложение помогает убрать лишние сомнения. Меньше напряжения. Больше спокойствия перед отправкой.

Screenshots

ChallengeUp4 screens
Cold Message3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cold Message at daily against ChallengeUp's every 2 months. ChallengeUp's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). 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. ChallengeUp sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year and Cold Message sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChallengeUp ships an update every 2 months, Cold Message daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ChallengeUp versus Cold Message: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChallengeUpCold Message
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (38 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews89.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings38 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLIKE WRONG LLPKirill Lysenko

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ChallengeUp

Subscriptions1
  • Plus (Annual)$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Plus Lifetime$39.99
1 purchases

Cold Message

One-time1
  • RRTE$1.99

Questions

Is ChallengeUp free?
ChallengeUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cold Message free?
Cold Message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChallengeUp or Cold Message have ads?
Neither ChallengeUp nor Cold Message shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChallengeUp or Cold Message?
ChallengeUp ships an update every 2 months, and Cold Message daily. Most recently, ChallengeUp was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cold Message on October 5, 2026.

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