Comparison

Backlog by Time Engine vs DooNuts

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

Head to head
About

Backlog by Time Engine

Features
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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.

About

DooNuts

Features
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DooNuts turns your todo list into a nut harvest. Every todo is a nut. When it's done, tap the nut: the squirrel carries it to the basket โ€“ and your pile grows. PLAN SIMPLY โ€ข Today shows what's due today, category by category. โ€ข Later gathers everything with a date, week by week and month by month. โ€ข As many categories as you like, each with its own nut: Work as a walnut, Home as a hazelnut, Sports as a pine nut โ€ฆ โ€ข Checklists: open a nut and tick off the small steps one by one. โ€ข Hold a nut to move it โ€“ into a new order or another category. โ€ข Repeating nuts: daily, weekly, monthly โ€“ they come back on their own. โ€ข A calendar with every nut at a glance, per category too. โ€ข Reminders at the time you choose, notes on every nut. โ€ข Search across everything. HARVEST, DON'T JUST CHECK OFF โ€ข Every finished nut lands in the basket. This season's harvest grows into a pile of nuts, next to the harvest of all time โ€“ category by category. โ€ข Every nut plays a note: each nut that lands in the basket and each tap on your pile plays the next note of the day's melody. โ€ข Seven classical melodies, one for each day of the week โ€“ played on a piano sampled note by note just for DooNuts. The note button switches melodies; the info button tells you what's playing. โ€ข Tap the squirrel โ€“ it's happy to see you. A SCENE THAT LIVES WITH THE DAY โ€ข The view of the waterfall changes with the season, the time of day and the real weather: sun, clouds, wind, rain, thunderstorms โ€“ plus snowy winters, sunsets and starry nights. โ€ข The habitat: visit the squirrel and the deer by the river. CALM AND PRIVATE โ€ข Everything stays on your iPhone. No account, no ads, no tracking. โ€ข Your location is used for the weather only โ€“ and only if you allow it. โ€ข English, German and Japanese. DOONUTS PRO DooNuts Pro is all about the look and the sound: โ€ข Three more critters: a flying squirrel, a ground squirrel and a dormouse. โ€ข Three more instruments for the melody: pizzicato strings, vibraphone and synthesizer. โ€ข Set the scenery yourself: any season, any time of day, any weather. โ€ข Seven more app icons. Pro is a growing collection: new critters, instruments and icons join it over time. DooNuts Pro is a monthly or yearly subscription, with 7 days free for first-time subscribers โ€“ or a one-time purchase that's yours for good, no subscription. The app shows the price in your currency before you buy. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple account; manage or cancel it in your account settings. Everything that matters stays free โ€“ Pro takes nothing away. Privacy policy: https://juliannoxlabs.com/privacy.html Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Weather data by Apple Weather. DooNuts is made by JulianNoxLabs โ€“ independent software by Julian Laping. // crafting digital tools and sound

Screenshots

Backlog by Time Engine4 screens
DooNuts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backlog by Time Engine at none against DooNuts's 2. DooNuts's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. DooNuts sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Backlog by Time Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backlog by Time Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, DooNuts every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Backlog by Time Engine versus DooNuts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBacklog by Time EngineDooNuts
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.4 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size3 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer100-8 StudioJulian Laping

In-app purchases

None

Backlog by Time Engine

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DooNuts

Subscriptions2
  • DooNuts Pro (Month)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • DooNuts Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Backlog by Time Engine free?
Backlog by Time Engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DooNuts free?
DooNuts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Backlog by Time Engine or DooNuts have ads?
Neither Backlog by Time Engine nor DooNuts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backlog by Time Engine or DooNuts?
Backlog by Time Engine ships an update every 3 weeks, and DooNuts every 4 days. Most recently, Backlog by Time Engine was updated on October 7, 2026 and DooNuts on October 17, 2026.

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