# ESS Mobile vs Life Oar

The clearest difference is rating: Life Oar at 5.0 against ESS Mobile's 1.7. Life Oar also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). ESS Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (355 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Life Oar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESS Mobile has 355 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, Life Oar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESS Mobile | Life Oar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (355 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ess-mobile/id667448755/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-oar/id1624532314/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **355** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 2.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Attendance on Demand, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/675262405) | [Jonathan McPhail](https://appshunter.io/developer/1624532856) |

## What reviewers say

### ESS Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ess-mobile/id667448755)

This app offers flexible time tracking for employees, allowing them to punch in/out, review hours worked, check schedules, and manage benefit balances. It facilitates communication with supervisors for attendance-related matters and supports various time entry methods.

**Highlights:** Flexible time tracking, Review hours worked, Check schedules and benefit balances, Request time off, Enter tips and mileage, Communicate with supervisor

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Simple and straightforward time tracking functionality
- 📧 Email records linked to time card
- ⚙️ Works reliably on Android devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connect button functions as text box instead of button
- ❌ App crashes frequently after updates
- ⚪ White screen loading issues
- 📍 Location detection inaccurate (4-5 miles off)
- 🔐 Login failures and credential issues

**Reported bugs**

- Connect button treats input as editable text field
- App fails to load or shows blank white screen
- Location services report incorrect location
- Login credentials rejected despite correct information
- Clock-in button disappears or becomes non-functional

**Requested features**

- Face ID or biometric authentication
- Remember me/stay logged in functionality
- Current time display on home screen
- Manager approval system for early out/late in requests
- Ability to view all punch times and historical data


### Life Oar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-oar/id1624532314)

This app integrates tasks, schedules, relationships, and well-being into a single platform. It offers AI-powered assistance for personal organization, group coordination, and journaling to enhance happiness and simplify daily life.

**Highlights:** AI-powered social life system, Personal task and schedule management, Group creation and shared experiences, AI chat assistant for groups, Personal journal and well-being tracking, Habit and goal monitoring

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESS Mobile free?

ESS Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Life Oar free?

Life Oar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ESS Mobile or Life Oar?

Life Oar is rated higher. ESS Mobile averages 1.7 out of 5 from 355 ratings, while Life Oar averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do ESS Mobile or Life Oar have ads?

Neither ESS Mobile nor Life Oar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ESS Mobile or Life Oar?

ESS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Life Oar fortnightly. Most recently, ESS Mobile was updated on November 6, 2026 and Life Oar on November 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*