Comparison

nag vs Pester

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

Head to head
About

nag

This app ensures you never forget tasks by repeatedly sending notifications until they are marked as complete. It offers flexible scheduling for recurring and one-time reminders, with options to snooze or dismiss directly from the notification. Additional features include a focus timer, logbook, and home screen widget.

Highlights
  • Reminders that don't give up
  • Postpone from notification
  • Reliable repeat scheduling
  • Set reminders in seconds
  • Focus timer and logbook
  • Works fully offline
  • No account needed
Features
Read full description

Hi there, here are Nadine & Robin, the two founders of nag. Most reminder apps remind you once and then give up. nag doesn't. It comes back, over and over, until you actually mark the thing as done. That's the whole idea. WHY WE BUILT IT We forgot things. Small things like paying a bill, taking a pill, redeeming a coupon. Recurring things like the compost, the laundry, drinking enough water. So we tried the reminder apps out there (more than a hundred of them sat on our phones) and we always hit the same two walls. First, they remind you once and then go quiet. A reminder arrives at a bad moment, you swipe it away, and it's gone for good. We wanted one that keeps coming until the job is done. A few apps could do it, but they gave up in endurance testing after a couple of weeks, so you could never really rely on them. Second, they are either bloated with features you never asked for, or so simple they break on a real repeat. We wanted an app that does a few things better than anyone else. So we built nag. We have been working on it with several people since 2019. Every reminder app can fire once. What separates them is the second reminder, and the fiftieth. The one you swiped away at a red light. The monthly one on the 31st. The yearly one in a leap year. Most apps quietly drop those, and you find out when it is already too late. We have spent seven years on exactly those cases. It is the least glamorous work in software, and it is the entire product. WHAT YOU GET Reminders that don't give up Firing once is easy. Coming back is the hard part. Every repeat is re-checked against a reference implementation before we ship a release, so your monthly reminder lands on the right day. An overdue nag comes back at the interval you choose, every 5 minutes, every 15, or hourly, until you tick it off. Postpone straight from the notification +10 minutes, +1 hour, +1 day, or done. The app stays closed. Repeats that hold From "every day at 7" to "every 3rd Monday of the second month". Monthly and yearly nags land on the right day, every time. Set a reminder in seconds Write it the way you would say it, or use the time picker with 12 presets you can change. Focus timer, logbook and widget Time a task, look back at everything you finished, and keep what's next on your Home Screen. Works fully offline You don't need internet to get reminded. Even after three weeks without a connection, your reminders fire as scheduled. No account needed nag works completely without one. Sign in with Apple or Google only if you want your reminders backed up and synced across devices. WHAT OUR USERS SAY "I really like that the app pings reminders several times, so if I miss the first, it keeps going. Instead of silently sitting in the notification tray." "I love it! It's on my home screen next to my calendar. Love that the reminders are simultaneously REALLY easy to make short ones, AND able to make detailed ones." "Awesome! Saved me from multiple alarms. My daughter and I both have ADHD and have such a difficult time remembering small details, so we were constantly forgetting keys, lunch, homework, meeting notes." SUBSCRIPTION nag comes with a free trial. It then continues as an auto-renewing subscription. The trial length and the price for your country are shown in the app before you buy, and you can cancel anytime in your App Store settings. No ads, no selling of your data. The subscription is what keeps nag running and bug-free for years. Terms of Use: https://nagreminder.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://nagreminder.com/privacy If you have questions, just write to us. We answer ourselves and we look forward to your message. All the best from Switzerland Nadine & Robin

About

Pester

This app provides persistent reminders that repeatedly alert you until they are marked as done or snoozed. It features natural language input, lock screen actions, and customizable repeat options. Designed for users who struggle with forgetting tasks, it offers a simple, private, and local experience.

Highlights
  • Persistent nagging notifications
  • Natural language reminder creation
  • Lock screen actions (snooze/done)
  • Customizable repeating reminders
  • Home Screen widget
  • Logbook of completed tasks
  • Survives phone reboots
Features
Read full description

Pester is a persistent reminder app that refuses to let you forget. Unlike quiet notification apps that ping you once and give up, Pester keeps nagging — firing the same reminder every few minutes until you mark it done or snooze it. No more "I'll do it later" followed by "I completely forgot." NEW IN 2.0 — REBUILT FROM THE GROUND UP Pester is now a 100% native iOS app: faster, smoother, and more reliable than ever. Plus: • Home Screen widget with one-tap Mark Done • Create reminders with Siri and Shortcuts • Yearly repeats for birthdays, renewals, and anniversaries • A searchable Logbook of everything you've finished • Redesigned notifications, snooze actions, and reminder list WHAT MAKES PESTER DIFFERENT • Auto-snooze: Set a reminder and walk away. If you ignore it, Pester fires again minutes later — your choice per reminder. It doesn't stop until you act. • Lightning-fast input: Type "Call mom in 30 minutes" and Pester understands. Natural language parsing means you spend less than 3 seconds creating a reminder. Or tap a quick-time button — Morning, Noon, Evening, +1 hour — and you're done. • Action from your Lock Screen: Snooze for 10 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, or tomorrow — all from the Lock Screen. No need to open the app. Or tap Done and move on. • Repeating reminders: Daily, weekdays, weekends, specific days of the week, monthly, or yearly. Your "take vitamins" reminder fires every morning without you lifting a finger. • Survives reboots: Restart your phone and your reminders are still there, still firing on schedule. Most reminder apps silently break after a reboot — Pester doesn't. DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO FORGET Built for anyone who dismisses notifications and immediately forgets, sets reminders that never fire loud enough, or struggles with ADHD and needs aggressive, repeated prompts to stay on track. No categories. No tags. No projects. No planning features. Just a title, a time, and relentless persistence. SIMPLE, PRIVATE, LOCAL • No account required — Pester works the instant you install it • No cloud, no servers, no data collection — your reminders live on your phone • Manual backup and restore through the iOS share sheet (save to iCloud Drive, Files, email — your choice) • One-time purchase, no subscriptions, no ads CUSTOMIZABLE SOUNDS AND THEMES • 4 bundled alert sounds ranging from a soft chime to an urgent alarm • System default sound option uses whatever you've set on your phone • Light and dark themes that follow your system setting or can be set manually • Configurable snooze presets and quick-time buttons — Pester. Forget-proof reminders for people who actually forget.

Screenshots

nag4 screens
Pester4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: nag at Free against Pester's $2.99. nag also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Pester's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

nag is free to download; Pester costs $2.99 up front. nag sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Pester asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for nag against 3.0 for Pester. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nag ships an update every 2 days, Pester every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
nag versus Pester: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternagPester
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobin KunzLucas Moeller

In-app purchases

5 purchases

nag

Subscriptions4
  • nag Pro — Weekly$9.997 Days
  • nag Pro — Yearly3 Days trial$19.001 Year
  • nag Pro — Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual Subscription14 Days trial$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • nag Pro — Lifetime$149.99
None

Pester

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is nag free?
nag is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pester free?
Pester costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, nag or Pester?
nag and Pester are both rated 3.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do nag or Pester have ads?
Neither nag nor Pester shows ads.
Which is updated more often, nag or Pester?
nag ships an update every 2 days, and Pester every 3 weeks. Most recently, nag was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pester on October 28, 2026.

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