# Ellie vs StarTimer

The clearest difference is price: Ellie at Free against StarTimer's $2.99. Ellie also leads on ratings volume (61 vs 1). StarTimer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Ellie is free to download; StarTimer costs $2.99 up front. Ellie sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. StarTimer asks for nothing beyond the download.

StarTimer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ellie has 61 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ellie ships an update every 2 weeks, StarTimer every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ellie | StarTimer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startimer/id6748080075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 190 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18 | **16.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AloaLabs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471824983) | [Saptak Sen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824208901) |

## 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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ellie Pro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| 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


### StarTimer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startimer/id6748080075)

This app helps you manage your time with smart scheduling and customizable timers. It offers real-time progress tracking, voice control, and a beautiful, privacy-focused design. Perfect for daily routines, focus sessions, and workouts.

**Highlights:** Smart scheduling with reminders, Recurring schedules for routines, Live Activities for real-time progress, Dynamic Island integration, Customizable icons and color themes, Siri Shortcuts for voice control, Privacy-focused, no data collection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ellie free?

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

### Is StarTimer free?

StarTimer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ellie or StarTimer?

StarTimer is rated higher. Ellie averages 4.6 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while StarTimer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ellie or StarTimer have ads?

Neither Ellie nor StarTimer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ellie or StarTimer?

Ellie ships an update every 2 weeks, and StarTimer every 3 days. Most recently, Ellie was updated on October 21, 2026 and StarTimer on October 13, 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.*