# Amicos vs Cortex

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Amicos at none against Cortex's 7. Amicos also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Cortex's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cortex sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Amicos asks for nothing beyond the download.

Amicos ships an update every 5 months, Cortex weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amicos | Cortex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-less-phone-more-life/id6760275313/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **26** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Martin Melchior](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584506377) | [valentino marchesini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883584552) |

## What reviewers say

### Amicos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amicos/id1636014894)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cortex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-less-phone-more-life/id6760275313)

This app intercepts reflexive app openings, providing a brief pause and a choice to stop or continue. It helps users build real control over their attention, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and track progress in breaking mindless scrolling habits.

**Highlights:** Intercepts reflexive app taps, Provides a short pause before opening apps, Offers a clear choice to stop or continue, Helps recognize and break scrolling patterns, Tracks self-intervention progress, Reduces anxiety and improves sleep

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cortex Pro - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Cortex Pro - Semanal | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Cortex Pro Annual (3-Day Trial) | $39.99 | per year |
| Cortex Pro Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Cortex Pro Annual (30-Day Trial) | $39.99 | per year |
| Cortex Pro Annual (25% Off) | $39.99 | per year |
| Cortex Pro - Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amicos free?

Amicos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cortex free?

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

### Do Amicos or Cortex have ads?

Cortex shows ads; Amicos does not.

### Which is updated more often, Amicos or Cortex?

Amicos ships an update every 5 months, and Cortex weekly. Most recently, Amicos was updated on November 3, 2026 and Cortex on November 5, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*