Comparison

What = Next vs The Square Is

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

Head to head
About

What = Next

Manage your schedule and tasks with this straightforward agenda app. It offers multiple calendar views, event templates, and powerful search functionality to keep your day organized. Customize your experience with dark mode and adjustable text sizes.

Highlights
  • Traditional week calendar view
  • Dual calendar and reminder sets
  • Event and reminder templates
  • Powerful search functionality
  • Date navigation
  • Customization options (dark mode, font size, accent colors)
  • Multilingual support
Features
Read full description

What = Next is a free simple and intuitive agenda app that helps you manage your events and reminders effortlessly. Whether you prefer a list view or a classic week calendar layout, this app has you covered. Key Features: - Traditional Week Calendar: Get a clear overview of your week at a glance. - Dual Calendar & Reminder Sets: Easily switch between two calendar sets and two reminder lists. - Event & Reminder Templates: Save time by creating reusable templates for recurring events or reminders. - Powerful Search: Quickly find events and reminders in seconds. - Date Navigation: Jump to any specific date with ease. - Customization Options: Enjoy dark mode, adjustable font sizes, and customizable accent colors. Multilingual Support: Available in English, Dutch, and German.

About

The Square Is

Features
Read full description

The Square Is - a daily ritual of digital resistance. We have lost the ability to be absent. The digital world is noise. The Square Is: the return to the zero of form. One hour of total black. No content. No scrolling. Leave the screen, and the session ends. THE DISCIPLINE Each day, the Square waits. You come when you are ready - morning, noon, or night. Three attempts. Every start consumes one, whether it ends in the journal or in a crack. The day does not grant a fourth. Once you begin, you do not leave. THE BLACKOUT Initiate the manifest. The screen becomes a solid black square. No content. No exits. No distractions. Just you and 60 minutes of total presence. THE REFLECTION After one hour, a solitary cursor appears. Record your thoughts. Or let them disappear. This is your choice. THE RECAP On the final day of each month, the Square reveals the sum of your resistance. An echo of your mind while the world was yours. WE REJECT THE ALGORITHM We reject the infinite scroll. We reject the constant "on". We value absence over engagement. We offer silence over content. A daily reminder is optional - a fixed hour, or a random one. Not a command. An invitation. You come on your own, or not at all. TOTAL CONFIDENTIALITY On iOS we store absolutely no data about you. No account. No name. No cloud. Your journal never leaves this device. THE INITIATION 7-Day Trial: experience the void. Keep it, or leave. Lifetime License: $9.99. In an era of endless subscriptions, reclaim the ritual once. This is not a tool. It is an act of liberation. Some of us choose the Square.

Screenshots

What = Next4 screens
The Square Is4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: What = Next at none against The Square Is's 1. What = Next also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and device support (3 vs 1). The Square Is's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price and ads 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. The Square Is sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. What = Next asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

What = Next ships an update every 5 weeks, The Square Is every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 4 level
What = Next versus The Square Is: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhat = NextThe Square Is
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews66.7% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks โ€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
MonetizationFreeโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size7 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter VogelsAna Maria Dumbraveanu

In-app purchases

None

What = Next

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

The Square Is

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$9.99

Questions

Is What = Next free?
What = Next is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Square Is free?
The Square Is is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do What = Next or The Square Is have ads?
Neither What = Next nor The Square Is shows ads.
Which is updated more often, What = Next or The Square Is?
What = Next ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Square Is every 3 months. Most recently, What = Next was updated on October 17, 2026 and The Square Is on October 19, 2026.

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