Comparison

Backlog by Time Engine vs Facing Fear

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

Head to head
About

Backlog by Time Engine

Features
Read full description

Backlog is a time based todo list, add an backlog, add items and subitems to it, associate it with a time amount representing a how much it will take to be done with it. Backlog adds all your items time and show how much workload you have. Simply check and uncheck items, move them to prioritize them or delete them.

About

Facing Fear

This tool helps you break down fears and complex decisions into manageable steps. It guides you through defining the issue, planning prevention and repair strategies, and outlining concrete actions with reminders. Gain clarity, reduce overthinking, and take decisive action.

Highlights
  • Fear definition and risk assessment
  • Prevention and repair planning
  • Scenario analysis (worst, likely, best case)
  • Actionable next steps with reminders
  • Cost of inaction calculation
  • Reflection and learning from outcomes
  • App lock for privacy
Features
Read full description

Facing Fear – structure fears clearly, act boldly Facing Fear helps you make inner hurdles tangible β€” with a clear method of Definition, Prevention, Repair, scenarios, and concrete next steps. This way you make better decisions, reduce rumination, and get into action. Why Facing Fear? - Clarity instead of catastrophizing: organize thoughts, assess risks, and see in black and white what truly matters. - Action instead of procrastination: set concrete steps β€” with due dates and reminders. - Reflect & learn: compare expectation vs. reality and close topics consciously. How it works - Define: What is it really about? Describe your fear/decision. - Prevent & Repair: What can you do to prevent problems β€” and what if something does go wrong? - Scenarios: Worst case, most likely course, and best case. - Costs of inaction: What happens if you change nothing (6/12/36 months)? - Next steps: Max. three concrete actions incl. date. - Assessment: Severity, likelihood, controllability β€” as a risk score (0–100). - Review: Set a review date. - Close out: Reflect at the end (β€œWhat actually happened?” and β€œWhat will I tell myself next time?”) and archive the entry. Highlights - Clear card view with risk chip and mini scale - Search, filter & sorting (Newest, Due date, Risk) - Due dates & reminders for your steps - Markdown-capable text input (including lists) - Quick duplication and share/export (Markdown for backups) - App lock (Face ID / Touch ID) for more privacy - Statistics dashboard: number of fears created, Ø score, trends over time, top topics, and much more - Close-out flow: expectation vs. outcome, learnings, archive Pro – unlock once, use everything With Facing Fear Pro you get: - Unlimited active entries - Markdown export for backups & sharing - Full statistics dashboard - App Lock (Face ID/Touch ID) - Close-out & reflection incl. archive view - Pay once, use forever. (No subscription.) Privacy - No account required. - Your data stays on your device. - Face ID/Touch ID optional. Note Facing Fear is not a substitute for therapy and does not provide medical or legal advice. It is a self-management tool that supports clear thinking and action.

Screenshots

Backlog by Time Engine4 screens
Facing Fear4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backlog by Time Engine at none against Facing Fear's 1. Backlog by Time Engine also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Facing Fear sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backlog by Time Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backlog by Time Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, Facing Fear every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
Backlog by Time Engine versus Facing Fear: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBacklog by Time EngineFacing Fear
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
Monetizationβ€”Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size3 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer100-8 StudioHenning Koetz

In-app purchases

None

Backlog by Time Engine

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Facing Fear

One-time1
  • Facing Fear Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Backlog by Time Engine free?
Backlog by Time Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Facing Fear free?
Facing Fear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Backlog by Time Engine or Facing Fear have ads?
Neither Backlog by Time Engine nor Facing Fear shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backlog by Time Engine or Facing Fear?
Backlog by Time Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, and Facing Fear every 3 months. Most recently, Backlog by Time Engine was updated on October 7, 2026 and Facing Fear on September 28, 2026.

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