# Study Buddies vs Lilo

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Study Buddies at none against Lilo's 5. Study Buddies also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 66%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Lilo's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Study Buddies ships an update every 2 months, Lilo every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Study Buddies | Lilo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lilo-study-timer-and-challenges/id6752133930/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 738 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [jason punselie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679426285) | [Pawel Gladysz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1650152146) |

## What reviewers say

### Study Buddies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-buddies-focus-timer/id6446861499)

This app uses a gamified Pomodoro technique to help users focus on tasks and reduce phone usage. It offers ambient sounds and competitive features to motivate users to build better habits and improve productivity.

**Highlights:** Gamified focus timer, Pomodoro technique, Habit tracking and building, Ambient sounds (lo-fi, white noise), Competitive features with friends, Phone addiction reduction

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lilo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lilo-study-timer-and-challenges/id6752133930)

This app transforms solo study sessions into engaging, social challenges. Compete with friends, track your progress, and climb leaderboards to make learning fun and motivating. Build lasting focus habits through friendly competition and visible achievements.

**Highlights:** Focus timer with distraction avoidance, Study challenges with friends, Live leaderboards for comparison, Progress tracking and stats, Habit building and streaks, Social accountability

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Access Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Access Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Access Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Study Buddies free?

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

### Is Lilo free?

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

### Do Study Buddies or Lilo have ads?

Study Buddies shows ads; Lilo does not.

### Which is updated more often, Study Buddies or Lilo?

Study Buddies ships an update every 2 months, and Lilo every 8 days. Most recently, Study Buddies was updated on September 17, 2026 and Lilo on October 5, 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.*