Comparison

Wave Timer vs LIFE/CTRL

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

Head to head
About

Wave Timer

A nostalgic, toy-like timer app with a unique wave visualizer. Set countdowns from 1 to 60 minutes by sliding your finger. Experience time passing like a sand timer, enhancing daily time management and quality of life.

Highlights
  • Nostalgic dot-art design
  • Wave visualizer for time progression
  • 1-60 minute countdowns
  • Intuitive finger-slide control
  • Enhances time management
Features
Read full description

清々しいまでにノスタルジック。 玩具みたいなタイマーアプリ。 この清々しいまでにノスタルジックさ満点なドット絵デザインのタイマーアプリで 日常をタイムマネジメントしてQOLをあげよう! 「Wave Timer」は、遊び心満載(じゃなきゃプリインの使うよね!)のツールで、画面に指を滑らせ離すだけで1分から60分までのカウントダウンを設定できます。 特徴的なのは、時間の経過が画面内に溜まる波の高さで表される点。 時間が過ぎるたびに波がゆっくりと引きカウントダウンの終了とともに波が消えるんだ。 これで一目瞭然、まるで砂時計を見ているような感覚を味わえるよ。 Wave Timerで、時間の流れを視覚的にキャッチし些細な気づきを得て人生を噛み締めてください。 慌ただしい日常の中で、この小さな波があなたの時間を静かに見守るからね。 さあ、Wave Timerと共に人生をエンジョイしよう! ———————— *CREDIT* DESIGN&CONCEPT : m7kenji PROGRAM : Shoma PUBLISH : HANDSUM .inc ————————

About

LIFE/CTRL

This app helps you build and manage daily routines using customizable templates. It allows you to create reusable activity blocks, arrange them into daily schedules, and assign these schedules to specific dates. Widgets provide at-a-glance progress and task completion without needing to open the app.

Highlights
  • AI-powered day creation
  • Reusable activity parts
  • Customizable LIFE templates
  • Calendar assignment
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • TODO items and alarms
Features
Read full description

LIFE/CTRL turns everyday actions into reusable parts that you arrange into a daily template called a LIFE. Create separate LIFE templates for workdays, days off, night shifts and any other pattern, then assign them to dates in your calendar. ■ Create with CTRL Answer a few questions and CTRL builds a day from wake-up to sleep. You can also type a request to adjust an existing LIFE, create a part, or add TODO items and alarms. ■ Build reusable parts Turn brushing your teeth, meals, work, shopping and other activities into timed parts. Choose an icon and colour, then reuse each part across multiple LIFE templates. ■ Arrange your day Place parts inside blocks such as WAKE, WORK, HOME and SLEEP. Since wake-up starts the day and sleep ends it, schedules that cross midnight, including night shifts, work naturally. ■ Assign LIFE templates to dates Assign a LIFE to a calendar date to create that day. Keep settings that apply every time separate from changes for one specific date. ■ Run the day from widgets Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show the current block and its parts. Mark actions complete without opening the app. ■ TODO items and alarms Store belongings or steps inside a part as TODO items. Alarms support sound, snooze and vibration-only options. Available in Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean and Spanish. Free, with no ads or in-app purchases. Your routine data stays on your device and is not sent outside the app. Alarm features require iOS 26 or later.

Screenshots

Wave Timer3 screens
LIFE/CTRL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: LIFE/CTRL at daily against Wave Timer's every 4 days. Wave Timer's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wave Timer ships an update every 4 days, LIFE/CTRL daily. Both last shipped on October 4, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Wave Timer versus LIFE/CTRL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWave TimerLIFE/CTRL
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHANDSUM.INCYUKIYA SHIMODA

Customer experience

Wave Timer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

LIFE/CTRL

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Wave Timer

No in-app purchases

None

LIFE/CTRL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wave Timer free?
Wave Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LIFE/CTRL free?
LIFE/CTRL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Wave Timer or LIFE/CTRL have ads?
Neither Wave Timer nor LIFE/CTRL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wave Timer or LIFE/CTRL?
Wave Timer ships an update every 4 days, and LIFE/CTRL daily. Most recently, Wave Timer was updated on October 4, 2026 and LIFE/CTRL on October 4, 2026.

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