Comparison

Minimal vs AppList.

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

Head to head
About

Minimal

This app transforms your home screen into a distraction-free, text-based launcher using widgets. It helps reduce screen time by hiding distracting icons and notification badges, allowing for a more personalized and focused mobile experience.

Highlights
  • Text-based app launcher widgets
  • Reduces screen time
  • Hides distracting icons
  • Customizable widget appearance
  • Personalized home screen setup
Read full description

Hey there! I’m the maker of Minimal. Like many of you, I found myself constantly checking my phone, hopping from one app to another, and losing precious hours. That's why I created Minimal — to help us reclaim our time and focus by cutting down on digital clutter. Here’s What Minimal Can Do For You: 1. A Cleaner Home Screen Minimal uses home screen widgets to transform your home screen with a sleek, text-based app launcher — access what you need without distractions. 2. Reduce Screen Time Keep distracting icons and notification badges out of sight. This "out of sight, out of mind" strategy helps reduce unnecessary screen time. 3. Personalize Your Experience Your phone should reflect your style. Customize the look and feel of your widgets to create a setup that’s uniquely yours. Why Minimal? I built Minimal initially to help myself focus more and swipe less. It turned my phone from a distraction into a tool. Minimal has transformed my relationship with my phone, and I hope it does for you too. Unlock everything for the price of a latte. No subscriptions or hidden fees. Try it free for 7 days, no payment required if you don’t love it! About Us: ByteBrew is a one-man app studio based in NYC, building high-quality apps that deliver real value at a fair price. We’re committed to using technology to improve lives.

About

AppList.

Organize your favorite applications into a clean, minimalist list. This free launcher focuses on reducing distractions and visual noise, making your phone feel like a tool. It prioritizes privacy with no ads or tracking.

Highlights
  • Minimalist app list design
  • Customizable text styling
  • Reduced clutter and distractions
  • Privacy-focused, no tracking
  • Supports up to 65 apps
  • Widgets for fullscreen list
Read full description

A free minimalist home screen with your favorite apps, beautifully listed. That's it.  • Beautifully Minimal – Turn your app grid into a sleek, organized list – Clean design with customizable alignment and text styling – Designed to reduce clutter and visual noise • Mindful by Design – Focus on what matters by removing distractions – Curate your essential apps with intention – Make your phone feel like a tool, not a trap • Private and Honest – No ads – No tracking – No hidden analytics – Your data stays on your device – Open source app catalog • Additional notes - This app is completely free with optional donations to support the solo developer :-) - Two widgets combine into a fullscreen list of apps, or on iOS 27 one extra-large widget fills the screen - The app comes with the equivalent of 5 fullscreen lists (for up to 65 apps!)

Screenshots

Minimal4 screens
AppList.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: AppList. at free against Minimal's free with in-app purchases. AppList. also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (30 vs 7). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Minimal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and AppList. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Minimal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 30 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Minimal ships an update every 2 months, AppList. every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Minimal versus AppList.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinimalAppList.
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better4.8 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings730 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperByteBrew LLCClement Boissiere

Customer experience

Minimal

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AppList.

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Minimal

One-time1
  • Lifetime Membership$4.99
3 purchases

AppList.

One-time3
  • Small Tip$2.99
  • Extra Pages$2.99
  • Big Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Minimal free?
Minimal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AppList. free?
AppList. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Minimal or AppList.?
Minimal is rated higher. Minimal averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while AppList. averages 4.8 from 30 ratings.
Do Minimal or AppList. have ads?
Neither Minimal nor AppList. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Minimal or AppList.?
Minimal ships an update every 2 months, and AppList. every 3 weeks. Most recently, Minimal was updated on October 24, 2026 and AppList. on October 24, 2026.

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