# minical vs DateSmith Light

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DateSmith Light at none against minical's 4. DateSmith Light also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). minical's advantage is ratings volume (5.8K vs 2). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. minical sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. DateSmith Light asks for nothing beyond the download.

DateSmith Light holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: minical has 5.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of minical's written reviews are positive against 100% of DateSmith Light's.

minical ships an update every 10 days, DateSmith Light weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | minical | DateSmith Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minical-planner-and-calendar/id1558953048/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/datesmith-light-date-widgets/id6746695656/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 104 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [minical Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/457011383) | [Benjamin Staab](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680743368) |

## What reviewers say

### minical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minical-planner-and-calendar/id1558953048)

This app offers a minimalist and intuitive way to manage your schedule. View events at a glance with home and lock screen widgets, color-code them for easy distinction, and quickly edit them with smart suggestions. Stay organized with customizable notifications and cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Minimalist design, Home & lock screen widgets, Event color-coding, Smart event editing, Customizable notifications, Cloud syncing, Event sharing

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| candy size tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| donut size tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| pizza size tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| minical pro | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Functional and easy to use
- 👍 Lots of widget options
- 👍 Clean and easy to read interface
- 👍 Customizable
- 👍 Syncs well with other calendars

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with Outlook
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 💰 Expensive pro version
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔍 Lacks reminders/tasks integration

**Reported bugs**

- Events disappearing
- Widget not displaying correctly
- Incorrect date display on widgets
- Inability to delete events

**Requested features**

- Apple Reminders integration
- Travel time option
- Ability to invite attendees
- Dimming of past dates
- Natural language input for events


### DateSmith Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/datesmith-light-date-widgets/id6746695656)

Enhance your iPhone's lock screen with a beautifully formatted date display. This app specializes in the premium space above your clock, offering customizable formats and reliable midnight updates. Track important events with a countdown mode and enjoy a minimalist, privacy-focused design.

**Highlights:** Custom date widget for above lock screen clock, Multiple widget formats, Personalized date formats, Countdown mode for events, Automatic midnight updates, Privacy-focused design, Battery efficient

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is minical free?

minical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DateSmith Light free?

DateSmith Light is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, minical or DateSmith Light?

DateSmith Light is rated higher. minical averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while DateSmith Light averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do minical or DateSmith Light have ads?

minical shows ads; DateSmith Light does not.

### Which is updated more often, minical or DateSmith Light?

minical ships an update every 10 days, and DateSmith Light weekly. Most recently, minical was updated on September 23, 2026 and DateSmith Light on June 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*