# Finalist vs Sternly

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sternly at none against Finalist's 7. Sternly also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Finalist's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (528 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Finalist sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Sternly asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sternly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Finalist has 528 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Finalist ships an update every 10 days, Sternly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Finalist | Sternly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (528 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finalist-daily-planner/id6447014685/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sternly-habit-tracker/id6760988053/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **528** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#205** | — |
| Size | 121 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Diversion Marketing Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1629375927) | [Sambodh Choudhary](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887163683) |

## What reviewers say

### Finalist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finalist-daily-planner/id6447014685)

**Currently charting:** #205 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app combines your calendar, tasks, reminders, and weather into a single, visually appealing timeline. It integrates with your journal and activity data to inspire your planning. Enjoy a beautiful and joyful planning experience without complex workflows.

**Highlights:** Unified timeline view, Calendar, task, and reminder integration, Weather forecast display, Journal and activity ring integration, Customizable themes, Native Apple technology integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Finalist Pro Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Finalist Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Finalist Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Finalist Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Finalist Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Finalist Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Finalist Pro Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive day-based organization system
- ✨ Beautiful, thoughtfully designed interface
- 📅 Excellent calendar and reminders integration
- 🎯 Perfect balance of simplicity and functionality
- 📝 Effective task management with bring-forward feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes on macOS and when accessing settings
- 🐛 App crashes when opening preferences
- ⚠️ Inconsistent subscription recognition issues
- ⚠️ Confusing pricing structure with multiple tiers
- ⚠️ Limited event creation capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Settings/preferences crash the app
- Pro subscription not recognized after canceling auto-renewal
- Weather widget fails to display without manual toggling
- App freezes and becomes unresponsive on iPad
- Empty tasks cannot be permanently deleted

**Requested features**

- Apple Watch native app
- Recurring/repeating tasks and reminders
- Subtasks functionality
- Task tagging and filtering
- Event location and travel time details


### Sternly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sternly-habit-tracker/id6760988053)

Build and maintain positive habits with a focus on daily consistency. Track progress, grow streaks, and stay motivated through a simple, no-fluff interface. Unlock achievements and utilize a library of pre-set or custom habits.

**Highlights:** Daily habit tracking, Streak tracking, Progress calendar, Achievements, Habit library, Custom habits

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Finalist free?

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

### Is Sternly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Finalist or Sternly?

Sternly is rated higher. Finalist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 528 ratings, while Sternly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Finalist or Sternly have ads?

Neither Finalist nor Sternly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Finalist or Sternly?

Finalist ships an update every 10 days, and Sternly every 5 months. Most recently, Finalist was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sternly on October 31, 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.*