Comparison

Defer vs OTN

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

Head to head
About

Defer

This app acts as a quick capture inbox for your thoughts and tasks. Simply input items to get them out of your head and into a secure, private space. It syncs across devices and offers export options for your data.

Highlights
  • Quick task capture
  • Private data storage
  • Automatic syncing
  • CSV export
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Customizable appearance (Pro)
  • Export to Apple Reminders/JSON (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Defer is the app to get things out of your head. It's a task inbox or a capture inbox. Simply open the app, type (or paste!), and move on, knowing the thing will be there when you need it later. It works best with the accompanying Mac app: capture something on your phone, act on it when you're back at your Mac. - Private by Design: All your data is either stored on device or in a private iCloud container if you've got an Apple ID. - Simple: No bloat. Fast. Just write! - Synced Automatically: No account creation needed. If you're signed in with the same Apple ID on multiple iOS devices, everything will just sync. - Export anytime: Take your data with you in the form of a very compatible .csv file. - Integrated with Siri, Shortcuts, and Widgets (activate Siri and then say "Defer Something") - Add dates, or don't! Put stuff out of site / out of mind until you need it. - Pro feature: Make the app your own by customizing colors and fonts. - Pro feature: Export to Apple Reminders or JSON - Pro feature: Use webhooks to send tasks to other apps, on demand or automatically. We take privacy seriously. Really. We don't track anything about you or how you use Defer. More here: https://deferapp.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

OTN

Read full description

OTN applies the mental model of a one-time password to your notes. Every note is born with a lifetime — 10 minutes, an hour, a day, a week — and quietly disappears when its time runs out. Most notes are one-time information: where you parked, a wifi password, today's to-do. They don't deserve permanent storage. OTN is built for exactly this — write it in five seconds, let it go, and never watch your list pile up again. WATCH IT FADE Notes visually age as their time runs out, dimming and blurring until they dissolve. The list itself is the timer. KEEP ONLY WHAT MATTERS Tap a note to Keep it forever, or Release it now. Keeping is a deliberate act, not the default. NOTHING IS LOST BY ACCIDENT Expired and released notes rest unseen in the Archive for a while — then they're gone for good. Restore anything before it vanishes. DESIGNED TO DISAPPEAR A dark, minimal, single-screen interface. No folders, no tabs, no clutter. Choose from three typefaces to make it yours. OTN PRO A single one-time purchase removes ads on iPhone and syncs your notes between iPhone and Mac via iCloud. Nothing piles up. As it should be.

Screenshots

Defer4 screens
OTN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Defer at none against OTN's shown. OTN's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Defer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and OTN sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Defer ships an update every 2 weeks, OTN every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Defer versus OTN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeferOTN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (23 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLevi Nelson, LLCSeokHui Lee

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Defer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$5.991 Year
1 purchases

OTN

One-time1
  • OTN Pro$0.99

Questions

Is Defer free?
Defer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OTN free?
OTN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Defer or OTN have ads?
OTN shows ads; Defer does not.
Which is updated more often, Defer or OTN?
Defer ships an update every 2 weeks, and OTN every 3 days. Most recently, Defer was updated on October 13, 2026 and OTN on October 6, 2026.

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