Comparison

One Task vs Roost

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

Head to head
About

One Task

Focus on completing your daily to-dos with this minimalist task manager. Display a single task on your Home or Lock Screen and tap to mark it done. The next task automatically appears, promoting focused productivity without overwhelming features.

Highlights
  • Single task display on Home/Lock Screen
  • Tap to complete tasks
  • Automatic progression to next task
  • Customizable task order
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Minimalist design
Features
Read full description

Show a single task on your Home Screen or Lock Screen. Add some tasks to the app and then add the widget. Simply tap the widget to mark the task as completed. The next task will then appear. You can change the order the tasks will be chosen in the widget configuration. The simplicity is a feature. The app will not have things like folders, tags, priority, notes, etc. The optimal workflow is to add only the tasks you are committed to completing today. The app is designed for task completion, not endless organization and neglect. Syncs seamlessly across your devices with iCloud. « You can achieve almost anything if you focus on one thing at a time » — Someone on the internet Known issue: If you long-press a task while the text field is focused, the keyboard will hide, but not the text field. This is an iOS bug. Instead, dissmiss the keyboard by scrolling first and then long-press a task. ■ Support You can contact me through the feedback button in the app.

About

Roost

Features
Read full description

Your notebook is the system. Roost is the buffer. Capture on your phone. Migrate to paper. Nothing stays digital. Roost is a temporary inbox for bullet journalers — designed to complement your physical journal, not replace it. Open, capture a thought with the right signifier, and get back to your day. When you're ready, migrate everything to your notebook one card at a time. TWO SCREENS. THAT'S IT. - Capture: Tap a signifier (task, event, note, priority), type, done. Resets instantly for the next item. - Migrate: A card stack shows one capture at a time. Swipe to clear. No cherry-picking, no skipping. Items are permanently deleted — just like crossing them off paper. - Sync: Capture on Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, or Mac. iCloud keeps everything in sync. - Themes: 40+ themes to make Roost feel like yours. WHAT ROOST DOESN'T DO No tags. No folders. No search. No history. No edit. No archive. If you want a digital bullet journal, there are great apps for that. Roost is for people who already have a journal — the paper one. Built by a bullet journaler, for bullet journalers. Free with no ads.

Screenshots

One Task4 screens
Roost4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Roost at Free against One Task's $4.00. Roost also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). One Task's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Roost is free to download; One Task costs $4.00 up front. Roost sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. One Task asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

One Task ships an update every 3 weeks, Roost every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
One Task versus Roost: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOne TaskRoost
Price$4.00Free — better
Rating4.6 (21 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings21 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.026
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB254 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSindre SorhusBen Johnson

In-app purchases

None

One Task

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Roost

One-time1
  • All Themes$3.99

Questions

Is One Task free?
One Task costs $4.00, with no in-app purchases.
Is Roost free?
Roost is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do One Task or Roost have ads?
Neither One Task nor Roost shows ads.
Which is updated more often, One Task or Roost?
One Task ships an update every 3 weeks, and Roost every 6 days. Most recently, One Task was updated on November 3, 2026 and Roost on October 24, 2026.

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