# Ellie vs PauseBox

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.

Both are free to download. Ellie sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PauseBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

PauseBox holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 61 and 44 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.

Ellie ships an update every 9 days, PauseBox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ellie | PauseBox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200/reviews) | **[4.9 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pausebox/id6745524690/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 82.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 191 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AloaLabs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471824983) | [Britt Espinosa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812701009) |

## What reviewers say

### Ellie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ellie Pro (Monthly, 50% off) | $4.99 | per month |
| Ellie Pro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Ellie Pro (Annual, 50% off) | $49.99 | per year |
| Ellie Pro (Annual Plan) | $99.99 | per year |
| Ellie Pro - Lifetime | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Time boxing feature is rare and appreciated
- ✅ Gratifying check done feature
- ✨ Flexible task movement
- 🚀 Fast and responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tasks disappear when scheduling from Brain Dump
- 🐛 Bugs with editing and moving recurring tasks
- 🐛 Difficulty rearranging tasks (bounce back)
- 🐛 Major problems with the app
- 🐛 Add task button not working

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### PauseBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pausebox/id6745524690)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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 44 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 28, 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.*