Outside vs Candle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Outside
Plan, share, and remember important moments with loved ones. Ideal for long-distance relationships, trip planning, and creating a visual diary of your year. Features live widgets and offline access.
- Shared countdowns for long-distance couples
- Trip planning with group coordination
- Yearly memory archive and profile
- Live widgets for home and lock screens
- Calendar sync (Apple & Google)
- Offline functionality
- Photo sharing for Lock Screen
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Waiting is better together. Turn every date you can't wait for—weddings, trips, birthdays, reunions—into a countdown you share, with widgets you'll both smile at every day. Use Outside for trips, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, reunions, concerts and every date worth looking forward to. CREATE AND SHARE Create a countdown, send an invite and let friends, family or your partner join the same moment. WIDGETS AT A GLANCE Keep your next countdown on your Home Screen, Lock Screen or in StandBy. PLAN TOGETHER Add the date, place and details so everyone knows what is happening. FREE TO START The free plan includes creating, sharing and joining countdowns, plus Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets. OUTSIDE PRO Outside Pro is optional and adds custom reminders, calendar sync, recurring events, attachments, camera-roll wallpapers, group chat, custom app icons, photo uploads and search, premium countdown styles, links and checklists. Available plans, prices and introductory trial eligibility are shown before purchase. Terms: https://outside.so/terms Privacy: https://outside.so/privacy Support: https://outside.so/support
Candle
This app helps couples deepen their connection through quick daily rituals. Engage with meaningful questions, share private photos, play games, and discover local date ideas to foster presence and curiosity in your relationship.
- Daily conversation starters
- Private photo sharing
- Syncing thumb kisses
- Local date ideas
- Relationship games and challenges
- Daily check-in streaks
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Candle – The Ultimate Couples Game for Staying Close Most relationships don’t end in one moment, they drift apart over time. Missed check-ins, surface-level conversations, busy lives, and routines replace real connection. Candle helps couples stay emotionally close through 1-minute daily rituals that bring back presence, play, and curiosity. Effortless Connection, Lasting Impact Whether you're long distance, busy, or just want to reconnect more deeply, Candle fits into your life. One minute a day is all it takes to strengthen your relationship. Conversation Starters That Matter - Swipe through meaningful, expert-designed questions - Unlock your partner’s answers to reflect, laugh, and grow together Daily Photo Prompts - Share real-time snapshots like BeReal, just for the two of you - Capture authentic moments and build a private photo journal - Create a visual history of your relationship over time- From lighthearted to deep, always have something to talk about Thumb Kisses - Tap your thumbs in sync to feel a gentle vibration - A playful way to say “I’m here,” even from miles away - Perfect for long-distance couples Curated Local Date Ideas (Beta) - 60+ unique ideas tailored to your location that refresh every week - Swipe to match on something new to try - Updated weekly with real-world, spontaneous experiences Games and Challenges - Play “Who’s More Likely,” fast-paced Q&As, and more - Discover new sides of each other in a low-pressure, fun format - Designed to spark joy and emotional connection Keep Your Streak, Keep Your Spark - Track daily check-ins and build a shared rhythm - Celebrate milestones and keep your momentum alive - Form long-term habits through small, consistent moments Perfect for Every Couple - Long-distance or living together - Just started dating or years in - Busy schedules or just needing more intentional time Private, Secure, and Ad-Free - No ads, no noise. Just time for each other - Encrypted and built privacy-first - Your memories stay between the two of you Why Couples Love Candle - Just one minute a day for real emotional impact - Based on relationship science and expert insights - Flexible for all stages of love and connection Download Candle today and bring back the spark, one question, one photo, one moment at a time. Visit: https://www.trycandle.app Privacy Policy: https://www.trycandle.app/privacy Terms: https://www.trycandle.app/terms Follow us: Instagram: @trycandle.app TikTok: @trycandle.app Reddit: r/candleapp Made with love in San Francisco. Shoutout to Fluent Emoji for the base icons!
Screenshots
Verdict
Outside and Candle both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of Candle's written reviews are positive against 54% of Outside's. Candle also leads on chart position (#78 vs unranked) and ratings volume (11K vs 2.8K). Outside's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Outside sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Candle sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Outside against 4.8 for Candle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 11K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Outside's written reviews are positive against 68% of Candle's.
Outside ships an update every 6 days, Candle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Outside | Candle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.8K ratings) | 4.8 (11K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | 67.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K | 11K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #78 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 144 MB | 98 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Outside HQ LTD | Encore AI Labs, Inc. |
Customer experience
Outside
Candle
User reviews
Outside
From 2.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Free home/lock screen countdown widget
- 👍 Simple and chic design
- 👍 Highly customizable
- 👍 Seamless calendar integration
- 👍 Useful AI assistant
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and glitches
- 💰 Subscription-based model, expensive pricing
- 🔒 Limits free features, forces paid subscription
- 🤔 Confusing and changing pricing structure
- 🤔 Lack of transparency around free vs paid features
Candle
From 11K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Perfect app for long distance couples
- 👍 Unexpectedly great for reconnecting
- 👍 Low-commitment, high-impact way to encourage connection
- 👍 Doesn't require subscription for full use
- 👍 Fun games and prompts
Bugs and requests
Outside
Reported bugs
3 issues- Widget not working after iOS updates
- Countdown events suddenly blocked by paywall
- Paid subscription not working as expected
Requested features
4 requests- More customization options for widgets
- Ability to delete or edit events
- Improved Android support
- Memories/map feature to track past events
Candle
Requested features
1 request- Different decks or categories for prompts to mix things up
In-app purchases
Outside
- Monthly subscription$2.991 Month
- Outside Pro Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Monthly Plan$4.491 Month
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Monthly subscription3 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Yearly Pro Deal3 Days trial$12.491 Year
- Annual Pro3 Days trial$12.491 Year
- Outside Pro Annual$19.991 Year
- Annual Plan3 Days trial$29.491 Year
- Outside Pro Annual3 Days trial$31.491 Year
- Annual plan3 Days trial$44.491 Year
- Unlock Countdown styles$0.99
- Ad supported tier$4.99
- All Time Deal$5.49
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- All Time Deal$7.49
- All Time Pro$9.99
- Lifetime Access$29.99
- Lifetime access$44.49
Candle
- Pro Weekly$3.997 Days
- Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
- Premium Weekly$4.997 Days
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Pro Weekly$5.997 Days
- Premium Weekly$5.997 Days
- Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
- Premium Monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
- Premium Monthly3 Days trial$12.991 Month
- Premium Monthly$14.991 Month
- Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
- Candle Pro - Yearly$29.991 Year
- Premium Yearly2 variants$39.991 Year
- Premium Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Premium Yearly$49.991 Year
- Premium Yearly$59.991 Year
- Premium Yearly3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Premium Yearly$89.991 Year
- Bag of Sparks (80)$0.99
- Word Hint$0.99
- Streak Reignite$2.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Bag of Sparks (500)$4.99
- Pro Lifetime$149.99









