Backlog by Time Engine vs ArticleQ
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backlog by Time Engine
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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.
ArticleQ
Save articles from the web and enjoy them in a clean, distraction-free reader. Listen to articles on the go with high-quality text-to-speech. Organize your content with tags and custom lists, and benefit from AI-powered summaries and semantic search.
- Save articles from any source
- Distraction-free reading experience
- Text-to-speech narration
- AI-powered summaries
- Offline reading capabilities
- iCloud synchronization
- Organize with tags and custom lists
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ArticleQ turns your feeds and saved articles into a calm, distraction‑free library you can read or listen to — the same way on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Everything runs on your device. Parsing, summaries, search, and text‑to‑speech all happen locally — there's no account, and no outside service tracking what you read. The only data that leaves your device is your own private iCloud sync, which keeps your library in step across your Apple devices. Built exclusively for Apple platforms. Features • Subscribe to RSS feeds and save articles from anywhere • Distraction‑free reader with clean, readable text • Smart reading queue with flexible sorting • Listen to any article with built‑in text‑to‑speech • Read‑along highlighting and auto‑scroll that follow the narration • AI summaries — get the gist before you dive in • Semantic search — find articles by meaning, not just keywords • Hear any voice before you choose, with instant previews • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Offline reading • Full Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and accessibility support • Premium Voices — natural‑sounding on‑device narration (Premium) • Playlists — queue articles and listen hands‑free, auto‑advancing from one to the next (Premium) Subscription ArticleQ Premium is an optional auto‑renewable subscription that unlocks Premium Voices and Playlists. Everything else is free. • Plan: ArticleQ Premium — 1 month • Price: $4.99 per month • Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically for the same price and period unless you turn off auto‑renew at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.asymmetric.enterprises/legal/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backlog by Time Engine at none against ArticleQ's 1. Backlog by Time Engine also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). ArticleQ's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. ArticleQ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Backlog by Time Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backlog by Time Engine | ArticleQ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 100-8 Studio | Andrew Carlson |
In-app purchases
Backlog by Time Engine
No in-app purchases
ArticleQ
- ArticleQ Premium$4.991 Month









