# the FORMULA vs TrueEffort

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: the FORMULA at 15.1 against TrueEffort's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. the FORMULA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and TrueEffort sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

the FORMULA ships an update every 2 weeks, TrueEffort every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | the FORMULA | TrueEffort |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Size | 39 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Formula](https://appshunter.io/developer/1782353934) | [Luis Machado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1162740655) |

## What reviewers say

### the FORMULA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-formula/id6738792218)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $89.99 | per year |


### TrueEffort

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trueeffort/id6762812712)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TrueEffort Pro – Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| TrueEffort Pro – Yearly | $8.99 | per year |
| TrueEffort Pro – Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the FORMULA free?

the FORMULA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is TrueEffort free?

TrueEffort is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do the FORMULA or TrueEffort have ads?

Neither the FORMULA nor TrueEffort shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, the FORMULA or TrueEffort?

the FORMULA ships an update every 2 weeks, and TrueEffort every 9 days. Most recently, the FORMULA was updated on September 30, 2026 and TrueEffort on October 5, 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.*