Comparison

Brick vs Birthday Countdown

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Brick

This app helps you regain focus by temporarily removing distracting applications and notifications from your phone. It uses NFC hardware to create distraction-free periods, allowing you to concentrate on important tasks or activities. Reconnect with your apps by simply tapping your device again.

Highlights
  • Temporarily remove distracting apps
  • Block notifications
  • Customize unblocked apps
  • Track usage history
  • NFC hardware integration
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Brick is the world's first digital wellness tool designed to create a more intentional relationship with your technology. In a world designed for constant distraction, Brick introduces a simple but powerful idea: friction. By adding physical barriers, Brick creates a deliberate pause between impulse and action — turning smartphones back into tools for what matters.

With the Brick app, you can design your personalized system to block distractions using both your Brick and Brick Night — allowing you to do more of what matters. Brick is a physical device that helps you block distracting apps on your phone. Tap to start a Brick session, then place Brick somewhere out of reach and go live your life. When you’re ready to be connected again, simply tap to Unbrick. Unlike screen-time settings and blocker apps that switch off in a second, Brick isn't on the phone you're trying to put down. It's a physical barrier you can't swipe out of. Brick Night automatically blocks the apps you choose when you enter your bedroom. Unlike app blockers, Brick Night uses Bluetooth to know when you're in your bedroom, creating a simple boundary around your sleep — so you don't have to remember to activate it every night. The result: fewer late-night distractions, fewer mornings lost to your feed, and a bedroom that feels like the sanctuary you intended it to be. FEATURES - Select the apps you’d like to block, and keep what you need. Temporarily remove distracting apps and their notifications from your phone, leaving only what you choose - Block any app (except the dialer, per Apple policy) and select Safari websites - Create custom modes for different parts of your day: Work, Family, Sleep, Gym, Study, Focus, and more - Create custom schedules to automatically block apps during specific moments of your day - A built-in focus timer tracks how long you stay undistracted - 5 Emergency Unbricks included for unexpected situations - Usage history tracks your progress so you can see how your habits improve over time DESIGNED FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR LIFE Parents use Brick to create device-free family time and build healthier habits around technology. Students rely on it during study sessions and exam prep when focus matters most. Professionals use it for deep work without the constant pull of notifications. Athletes keep it in the locker room to stay locked in before competition. Brick is also a thoughtful gift for anyone trying to build a healthier relationship with their screen habits, reduce anxiety from constant notifications, or simply spend less time scrolling and more time living. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING Featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Economist, Fortune, Vogue, TechCrunch, CNET, Fast Company, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and The New Yorker. With over 55,000 five-star reviews, people describe Brick as the thing that finally helped them break free from screen addiction. Join a growing community choosing to take back their time and reclaim hours lost to technology. HSA & FSA ELIGIBLE 30% average savings on Brick and Brick Night with HSA/FSA through our partnership with Truemed. Use pre-tax dollars to invest in your digital wellness and mental health. HSA/FSA funds accepted for qualified Truemed customers. HSA/FSA tax savings vary. Learn more at truemed.com/disclosures. WHAT'S INCLUDED Your purchase includes the physical Brick or Brick Night and full access to the companion app.

About

Birthday Countdown

Never forget important dates again with this elegant reminder and tracker app. It helps you remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, and even assists with gift planning. Keep your relationships strong with timely alerts and organized notes.

Highlights
  • Birthday & Anniversary Reminders
  • Special Date Tracking
  • Gift Idea Planner
  • Contact Management
  • Data Sync Across Devices
  • Customizable Reminders
Features
Read full description

MINDFULL: BIRTHDAY REMINDER, ANNIVERSARY TRACKER & GIFT PLANNER Be the friend who always remembers. Mindfull is the elegant, easy-to-use birthday reminder and relationship app that ensures you never miss a moment. Download the Mindfull app for free to start turning good intentions into meaningful action. This is the best birthday app for tracking and celebrating all the special dates that matter. The Reliable Birthday Reminder, Anniversary Tracker & Date Keeper Never forget a birthday or anniversary again with timely reminders. Mindfull is your dependable special date planner and anniversary tracker. We are the ultimate date keeper for every special date on your calendar. - Never Miss a Date: Get timely birthday reminders, anniversary alerts, and holiday reminders. - Simple Countdown: Use the clean countdown to see days remaining until the next special date. - Track Everything: More than just a birthday app, it's perfect for tracking graduations, holidays, milestones, and other special dates. Seamless Planning and Gift Organization Your birthday reminder list and planning details are always secure and available. Use Mindfull as your dedicated gift planner for every celebration. - Gift Planner: Jot down gift ideas and favorite things right in the app for easy, stress-free planning. This is your personal gift list organizer. - Data Sync: Your birthday tracker data is saved to our secure backend and syncs seamlessly across multiple devices (iPhone and iPad). - Full Privacy: Your data is yours. The Mindfull app account is created and managed entirely by you. - Custom Reminders: Set custom reminders for the perfect time to prepare for any special date. Mindfull FREE Features PERFECT FOR INDIVIDUALS GETTING STARTED. $0 /MONTH. Download the birthday app for free to start tracking your relationships. - Track up to 100 Contacts and remember their birthdays. - Jot down favorite things and gift ideas using the built-in gift planner. - Use the Upcoming Tab to quickly see which birthdays are next. - Data Sync: Your special date data is backed up and saved across multiple devices. Mindfull PREMIUM Features FOR KEEPING UP WITH ALL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. $2 /MONTH. INCLUDES ALL FREE FEATURES, PLUS: Elevate your planning with the ultimate anniversary tracker and special date planner. - Unlimited Contacts: Add as many friends and family to your birthday reminder app as you'd like! - Special Date Tracker: Add Anniversaries, first met dates, and other key special dates beyond birthdays. Your reliable date keeper. - Custom Organization: Create Custom Groups (Family, Friends, Work) and filter your Upcoming Tab by group. - Easy Data Collection: Use Link Sharing to easily collect birthday and special date info from group chats or email lists. - Automatic Association: Friends' info is automatically added to your reminder app and assigned to your chosen group. - Access to all new premium features as they are released. Privacy and Legal Information Your privacy is our priority. Your data is yours, and you reserve the right to permanently delete everything. Premium subscription is $2/month and auto-renews monthly unless canceled. - TERMS OF USE: HTTPS://THEMINDFULLAPP.COM/TERMS-OF-SERVICE/ - PRIVACY POLICY: HTTPS://THEMINDFULLAPP.COM/PRIVACY-POLICY/ - NEED HELP? Contact us at HTTPS://THEMINDFULLAPP.COM. We are happy to help with your birthday reminder app needs!

Screenshots

Brick4 screens
Birthday Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Brick at none against Birthday Countdown's 2. Brick also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (59K vs 28). Birthday Countdown's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and rating 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Birthday Countdown sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Brick asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Brick against 5.0 for Birthday Countdown. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brick has 59K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Brick's written reviews are positive against 100% of Birthday Countdown's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Brick ships an update every 4 days, Birthday Countdown fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Brick versus Birthday Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrickBirthday Countdown
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (59K ratings)5.0 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings59K — better28
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#63 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrick LLC (Wisconsin)Matthew Tesimale

Customer experience

Brick

All ratings58,528 ratings
Positive99.1%
Neutral0.4%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews2,196 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative15.0%

Birthday Countdown

All ratings28 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Brick

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when selecting apps to block/allow
  • Saved settings get deleted or reset unexpectedly
  • Inability to block certain apps like Safari
  • Bricked mode not working as expected after phone restart

Requested features

4 requests
  • Scheduled bricking/unbricking modes
  • Remote bricking option
  • Ability to block more than 50 apps
  • Improved app stability and reliability

Birthday Countdown

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Brick

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Birthday Countdown

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Annual$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Brick free?
Brick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Birthday Countdown free?
Birthday Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Brick or Birthday Countdown?
Birthday Countdown is rated higher. Brick averages 4.9 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while Birthday Countdown averages 5.0 from 28 ratings.
Do Brick or Birthday Countdown have ads?
Birthday Countdown shows ads; Brick does not.
Which is updated more often, Brick or Birthday Countdown?
Brick ships an update every 4 days, and Birthday Countdown fortnightly. Most recently, Brick was updated on October 27, 2026 and Birthday Countdown on October 23, 2026.

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