Comparison

ChallengeUp vs Spanda

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

Spanda

This app integrates period tracking directly into your existing calendar, offering daily personalized tips for work, exercise, and mood. It avoids intrusive notifications and data collection, focusing on helping you plan your life around your natural rhythm. Enjoy a seamless experience with no ads or accounts required.

Highlights
  • Integrated calendar view
  • Daily work, exercise, and mood tips
  • No push notifications
  • Ad-free experience
  • Local data storage
  • Supports Apple Calendar and Google Calendar
Read full description

Spanda is a period tracker that is integrated into your calendar. No separate windows, push notifications, or annoying alerts - just useful daily tips to help you plan your life based on your rhythm. • How it works After you add the date of your last period and the length of your cycle, Spanda adds brief comments to your calendar with daily tips for work, exercise and mood. Everything is uploaded to your calendar, right alongside appointments and tasks. • Daily tips Every day, Spanda sends three tips: - Work: what tasks you should work on - Exercise: how hard to push yourself - Mood: what to keep in mind All of the tips are fun and easy to understand.This is not a medical app. Spanda just helps you make the most of every day. • What’s unique about Spanda - Works as part of your calendar and not as a standalone app - Won’t distract you with push notifications and toxic alerts - Doesn’t collect user data or upload it to the server - No accounts, registrations or forms. Ad-free • Pick your calendar Spanda adds notes to Apple Calendar or Google Calendar - wherever you prefer. • Privacy The data is only stored on your device. Spanda does not have servers, data, analytics, or cookies. • Who’s it for Spanda is for those who want to live more comfortably and effortlessly, and who wish to adapt this useful tool to their own lives. Spanda works on iPhone with iOS 17 and later. We are happy to read reviews and receive feedback; they help us create updates: supportspanda@gmail.com • Privacy policy: https://lizakovalenkolol.github.io/spanda-privacy/

Screenshots

ChallengeUp4 screens
Spanda4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: ChallengeUp at free against Spanda's free with in-app purchases. ChallengeUp also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 80%). Spanda's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 Spanda sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ChallengeUp against 4.9 for Spanda. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of ChallengeUp's written reviews are positive against 80% of Spanda's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChallengeUp ships an update every 2 months, Spanda every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ChallengeUp versus Spanda: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChallengeUpSpanda
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (42 ratings) — better4.9 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews89.2% of reviews — better80.2% of reviews
Number of ratings42 — better35
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB2 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLIKE WRONG LLPElizaveta Kovalenko

Customer experience

ChallengeUp

All ratings38 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.6%
Negative6.2%

Spanda

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral10.5%
Negative9.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ChallengeUp

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

Spanda

Subscriptions2
  • Spanda Premium — Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Spanda Premium — Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is ChallengeUp free?
ChallengeUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spanda free?
Spanda is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ChallengeUp or Spanda?
ChallengeUp is rated higher. ChallengeUp averages 5.0 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Spanda averages 4.9 from 35 ratings.
Do ChallengeUp or Spanda have ads?
Neither ChallengeUp nor Spanda shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChallengeUp or Spanda?
ChallengeUp ships an update every 2 months, and Spanda every 3 weeks. Most recently, ChallengeUp was updated on November 3, 2026 and Spanda on October 31, 2026.

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