Comparison

Productivity Tree vs Trace

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

Head to head
About

Productivity Tree

This app uses the Pomodoro Technique to help you manage your time and enhance focus. It breaks down work into timed intervals with short breaks in between, aiding productivity.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro Technique timer
  • Work interval breakdown
  • Short break intervals
  • Focus enhancement
  • Time management
Features
Read full description

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for 'tomato', after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.

About

Trace

A minimalist and private space for capturing thoughts, notes, lists, and memories. It offers a clean interface for free writing and quick searching, with optional Pro features for customization and enhanced security.

Highlights
  • Minimalist and calm interface
  • Free writing and reflections
  • Bullet and numbered lists
  • Quick entry search
  • Local-first private storage
  • Customizable themes (Pro)
  • App Lock with biometric support (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Catch a thought in three seconds, by voice or text, then get on with your day. Private by design: no account, no servers, no tracking. Everything stays on your device. No subscription, ever. Pro is a one-time purchase. Trace is a home for passing thoughts: ideas, notes, reflections, lists, and the things you don't want to lose. Open it and write, or just talk. FAST CAPTURE - Open and write. No setup, no folders to choose first - On-device dictation, with optional on-device "Tidy my words" cleanup - "New Trace" control in Control Center (iOS 18) - Drafts save as you type, so a call or a crash can't take them - Bullet and numbered lists that continue as you type FIND IT LATER - Timeline grouped by day - Search everything you've ever written, including by date - Tags to group related thoughts - Reflections that link back to past entries - Traceback resurfaces a past entry every month, free YOURS, NOT OURS - Data Not Collected. Trace runs no servers of its own - Export everything as Markdown or JSON, anytime, free. Great with Obsidian - Deleted something by mistake? It waits 30 days in Recently Deleted BUILT FOR - Brain dumps and racing thoughts - The idea you had in the shower - Something someone said that stuck - The end of a long day TRACE PRO — ONE-TIME PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION - Extra inks and themes: Cream, Sage, Midnight, Cocoa - Matching alternate app icons - App Lock with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode - iCloud sync through your own iCloud - Weekly Traceback review Paper and Slate inks, Markdown/JSON export, and monthly Traceback stay free for everyone.

Screenshots

Productivity Tree3 screens
Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Productivity Tree at none against Trace's 1. Productivity Tree also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Productivity Tree asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Productivity Tree against 5.0 for Trace. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Productivity Tree versus Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProductivity TreeTrace
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better3
Update frequency—Every 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJeffrey LearyPedro Gomes do Nascimento

Customer experience

Productivity Tree

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Trace

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Productivity Tree

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Trace

One-time1
  • Trace Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Productivity Tree free?
Productivity Tree is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Trace free?
Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Productivity Tree or Trace?
Productivity Tree and Trace are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Productivity Tree or Trace have ads?
Neither Productivity Tree nor Trace shows ads.

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