Firstly vs Execute
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Firstly
This app helps you focus on what truly matters by prioritizing your tasks and projects. It offers a unique approach to personal prioritization, with features like project organization, multiple prioritizers, and detailed reports to boost your productivity. It also ensures your data remains private and syncs via iCloud.
- Organize with Projects, Checklists & Tags
- Multiple Prioritizers
- Daily Priority Reports
- Today's Tasks View (Priority, Schedule, Difficulty)
- Widgets & Siri Integration
- Add Subtasks, Notes, Deadlines, and Reminders
- QuickScheduling and Natural Language Input
Read full descriptionHide full description
Do you know what's better than getting things done? – Getting the RIGHT things done. Firstly is the ultimate personal tool that helps you find out and go after your true priorities. To avoid common mistakes like confusing urgency and importance or allowing your job or other people to prioritize your life, Firstly's brand new approach to prioritizing focuses your attention and energy on what matters most to you on a personal level. WHY SO PERSONAL? Prioritizing is a personal game. What's important to you might be less important to other people. So, Firstly was designed for personal use. Furthermore, Firstly is one of the rare apps of its kind that does not collect any of your data – Not even an email or nickname. And yes! Your data still syncs through your private iCloud for free. :) KEY FEATURES - Organize everything using Projects, Checklists & Tags. - Multiple Prioritizers: Helping you prioritize anything. - The Priority Report: A daily (weekly, monthly, yearly) report of the tasks completed from a priority point of view. Check your focusScore. - View your Today's tasks from a Priority, Schedule, or Difficulty-level perspective. - Boost your productivity with gorgeous widgets, Control Center Widgets, Lock Screen widgets, live activity, Siri & Shortcuts. MORE FEATURES - Add subtasks and notes to any tasks. - Add a scheduled time (a to-do time). - Add a deadline. - Add a duration and difficulty-level - Add multiple reminders. - Enjoy a simple timer to help you focus on the task. - Turn any task into a routine by using the repeat feature. - Track completed recurrences for routine tasks. - Introducing QuickScheduling: The most effective way to plan the tasks already available in your projects. - Add a priority and deadline for any project. - Add tasks from other apps via text or links using the new Share Extension. - Type using natural language like: "Meet with investors tomorrow at noon" and let Firstly schedule it for you. - Enhanced note: Add rich notes to any task. An embedded detail extractor lets you access your details efficiently. - Insert multiple tasks or subtasks with a simple copy and paste. - Merge two Projects or Lists. - Share any Project or List with other Firstly users via Messages, emails, etc. - Save any Project or List as a Firstly file - Move items from a list to a project and vice versa. - A Gorgeous dark mode. - Project themes for a more personalized experience. - Shareable Daily Wisdom quote every day. - And so much more… WHO NEEDS ANOTHER BILL? – NOT ME! Get the Lifetime Premium access to all Firstly's features and a bonus of 5 add-ons (2 prioritizers and 3 project themes) with a one-time payment rather than being stuck in a subscription. The Lifetime Premium also includes access to the many new features coming down the pike. If needed, enhance your experience with add-ons, such as extra prioritizers, project themes, and icon pack extensions. FREE TRIAL? Yes, of course! Enjoy a 7-day free trial peacefully. Your card will not be charged at the end of the free trial. QUESTIONS? If you have any questions, please get in touch with us directly at support@focuscove.com. Countless hours went into creating the Firstly app. We truly appreciate any review you could leave for us. Thank you!
Execute
Organize your day and manage projects efficiently with interactive task cards. Utilize flexible views like lists, timelines, and Kanban boards to prioritize, time-block, and track progress. Stay focused and complete important tasks effectively.
- Interactive task cards
- Time-blocking on a timeline
- Eisenhower matrix prioritization
- Kanban board workflow
- Built-in Pomodoro timer
- Project milestones and dependencies
Read full descriptionHide full description
Execute helps you plan your day and run your projects—fast. Turn tasks into interactive cards you can drag, time-block, and track across flexible views. Stay focused, avoid decision fatigue, and finish the right work at the right time. Work your way - List View: Create, edit, and reorder with effortless drag-and-drop. Clean, fast, and reliable. - Plan View: Time-block your day on a timeline. See system calendar events, personal reservations, and tasks in one place. - Precise Planning (Pro): Estimate durations and fit tasks like puzzle pieces to build a realistic schedule. - Matrix View: Prioritize with the Eisenhower matrix (urgent vs. important). Create custom matrices for your workflow. - Focus View: Swipe through tasks like a deck of cards and stay in flow with the built-in Pomodoro timer. - Kanban: Move work through stages with a swipe. Visual progress, zero friction. Manage projects with clarity - Milestones: See where your project stands and what’s next. - Dependencies: Understand what’s blocked and why—avoid surprises. - Step Templates: Standardize recurring processes to save time and reduce errors. Why Execute - Fast setup: Add tasks in seconds and start planning immediately. - One place for the day: Calendar, time blocks, and tasks together. - Built for focus: Views that reduce context switching and keep you moving. Start planning with confidence and finish more of what matters—download Execute today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Firstly at 4.7 against Execute's 4.3. Firstly also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 73%) and ratings volume (50 vs 14). Execute's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Firstly sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Execute sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Firstly holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 50 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Firstly's written reviews are positive against 73% of Execute's.
Firstly ships an update monthly, Execute every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Firstly | Execute |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (50 ratings) — better | 4.3 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 82.1% of reviews — better | 72.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 50 — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | focusCove LLC | Innovatism LLC |
Customer experience
Firstly
Execute
In-app purchases
Firstly
- 07-day TrialFree
- Darker Palette$0.99
- Project Icon Pack$0.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Wellness Prioritizer$1.99
- Eisenhower Prioritizer$1.99
- Coffee for Jonathan$2.99
- Tacos for Jonathan$6.99
- Lifetime Premium$14.99
Execute
- Execute Pro$19.99








