# Brick vs Birthday Countdown

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Brick | Birthday Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brick-ditch-distractions/id6448794069/reviews) | **[5.0 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birthday-countdown-mindfull/id6747055174/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **59K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#71** | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brick LLC (Wisconsin)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686383161) | [Matthew Tesimale](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815824616) |

## What reviewers say

### Brick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brick-ditch-distractions/id6448794069)

**Currently charting:** #71 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great concept
- 🚀 Helps reclaim time and attention
- 🔒 Physical barrier prevents mindless usage
- 💡 Customizable blocking/allowing modes
- 🚀 Improves productivity and focus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes
- 🐛 Unreliable app functionality
- 🐛 Inconsistent app behavior after updates
- 🐛 Difficulty setting up and configuring
- 🐛 Limited number of apps that can be allowed

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


### Birthday Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birthday-countdown-mindfull/id6747055174)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |


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