# Up Ahead vs Cactus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cactus at none against Up Ahead's 3. Cactus also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Up Ahead's advantage is ratings volume (686 vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Up Ahead sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Cactus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Up Ahead against 5.0 for Cactus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Up Ahead has 686 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Up Ahead ships an update every 5 weeks, Cactus every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Up Ahead | Cactus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (686 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cactus-block-distractions/id6760570620/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **686** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 37 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Gauthier](https://appshunter.io/developer/595544131) | [Kiln (CA)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1760601801) |

## What reviewers say

### Up Ahead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528)

A visually appealing app to track upcoming events with customizable countdown widgets for your Home and Lock Screens. Create events in seconds and personalize them with unique patterns. Stay organized with reminders and attachments.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown widgets, Event timeline view, Unlockable decorative patterns, Flexible reminders, Event attachments (notes/links), Recurring and multi-day events, iCloud backups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Up Ahead Plus | $1.49 | per month |
| Up Ahead Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| Up Ahead Plus | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app with clean UI
- 🎨 Simple and joyful design
- 🕰️ Excellent countdown app
- 🎨 Beautifully designed
- 🎨 Lovely and intuitive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced subscription
- 💰 Limited free version
- 🔄 Abandoned by developers
- 🔄 No updates in a long time
- 🔄 Development paused?

**Reported bugs**

- Widget doesn't update automatically
- Backup feature doesn't work
- Sound effects stopped working
- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Unlock all patterns
- More color options
- More icons and customization
- Calendar integration
- Siri and reminder integration


### Cactus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cactus-block-distractions/id6760570620)

This utility app helps you manage your screen time by blocking specific applications and websites according to your set schedule. It offers a straightforward approach to digital well-being with a commitment to privacy and no tracking. The app is completely free to use.

**Highlights:** Scheduled app blocking, Website blocking, Zero tracking, Free to use, Privacy-focused

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Up Ahead free?

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

### Is Cactus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Up Ahead or Cactus?

Cactus is rated higher. Up Ahead averages 4.9 out of 5 from 686 ratings, while Cactus averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Up Ahead or Cactus have ads?

Neither Up Ahead nor Cactus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Up Ahead or Cactus?

Up Ahead ships an update every 5 weeks, and Cactus every 2 weeks. Most recently, Up Ahead was updated on October 22, 2026 and Cactus on October 20, 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.*