Comparison

Ellie vs PauseBox

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

Head to head
About

Ellie

Organize your day with a beautiful task management app. View tasks by day, dump ideas to clear your mind, and schedule them directly into your calendar. Integrates with Google and Apple calendars for a unified view.

Highlights
  • Daily planner view
  • Brain dump for task offloading
  • Time block/time box mode
  • Google Calendar integration
  • Apple Calendar integration
  • Labels, recurring tasks, subtasks (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Clear your head. Plan what fits. Get it done. Ellie turns an open-ended brain dump into a realistic plan for your day: • Capture tasks quickly in Brain Dump • Drag tasks into a time-blocked calendar • See Apple Calendar and Google Calendar events alongside your tasks • Stay focused with Stopwatch and Pomodoro timers • Organize projects with labels, subtasks, recurring tasks, priorities, and more • Plan on the go, then pick up where you left off on the web The free version of Ellie includes unlimited tasks. Upgrade to Ellie Pro for $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or a one-time $299.99 purchase to unlock additional Pro features including labels, recurring tasks, subtasks, and more. If you previously purchased Ellie Pro, use Restore Purchases in the app to restore access. Prices shown are for customers in the United States and may vary with your App Store account settings. In-app purchases and subscriptions cannot be shared using Family Sharing. Ellie Terms of Service - https://ellieplanner.com/legal/terms-of-service Ellie Privacy Policy - https://ellieplanner.com/legal/privacy

About

PauseBox

This app helps you block digital distractions by creating a physical barrier. Select apps to block, create custom groups with schedules, and then tap your phone on a physical device to initiate a focus session. It encourages intentional separation to break habit loops.

Highlights
  • Select apps to block
  • Create custom Pause Groups
  • Schedule focus sessions
  • Use physical device for blocking
  • Remote blocking option
  • Intentional separation from phone
Features
Read full description

PauseBox creates a physical block between you and distractions. Here's how it works: 1. Select the apps you want to block Open the PauseApp and choose which apps to block, or select the few you want to keep. Create custom Pause Groups like Work, Study, or Family Time, each with its own app rules, schedules, or timers to fit your day.PauseBox creates a physical block between you and distractions. Here's how it works: 2. Tap your phone on PauseBox to block selected apps After selecting a Pause Group, tap your phone on the PauseBox to start blocking apps. Your focus session begins right away. Not nearby? Use “Pause without tap” in the app to start remotely. 3. Put distance between you and the PauseBox Place your PauseBox out of reach to create intentional separation. As a physical barrier to digital distractions, it makes unblocking a conscious choice and helps break the habit loop.

Screenshots

Ellie4 screens
PauseBox3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PauseBox at none against Ellie's 5. PauseBox also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18). Ellie's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, 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. Ellie sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PauseBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PauseBox holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 61 and 43 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of Ellie's written reviews are positive against 82% of PauseBox's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ellie ships an update every 9 days, PauseBox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ellie versus PauseBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElliePauseBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (61 ratings)4.9 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better82.4% of reviews
Number of ratings61 — better43
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS1816.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAloaLabs, LLCBritt Espinosa

Customer experience

Ellie

All ratings61 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative7.1%

PauseBox

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.9%
Negative11.8%

Bugs and requests

Ellie

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Tasks disappear when scheduling from Brain Dump
  • Editing and moving recurring tasks have bugs
  • Rearranging tasks causes them to bounce back
  • Add task button not working
  • Recurring tasks show multiple times on Google Calendar
Show 2 more
  • Calendar syncing not requesting access
  • iPad split screen, portrait orientation, window resizing missing

Requested features

9 requests
  • General note-taking area outside of Brain Dump
  • Easier way to add new time slots (e.g., holding on day time box)
  • Unfinished tasks/Brain Dump to go back to Brain Dump or a priority folder
  • Habit tracker
  • Custom repeat periods
Show 4 more
  • Ability to increase font size
  • Split screen on iPad
  • Portrait orientation on iPad
  • Ability to resize window on iPad

PauseBox

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Ellie

Subscriptions4
  • Ellie Pro (Monthly, 50% off)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Ellie Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Ellie Pro (Annual, 50% off)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Ellie Pro (Annual Plan)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Ellie Pro - Lifetime$299.99
None

PauseBox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ellie free?
Ellie is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PauseBox free?
PauseBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ellie or PauseBox?
PauseBox is rated higher. Ellie averages 4.6 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while PauseBox averages 4.9 from 43 ratings.
Do Ellie or PauseBox have ads?
Neither Ellie nor PauseBox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ellie or PauseBox?
Ellie ships an update every 9 days, and PauseBox every 3 months. Most recently, Ellie was updated on October 27, 2026 and PauseBox on October 24, 2026.

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