Comparison

Idle vs Things take time

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

Head to head
About

Idle

Features
Read full description

Idle is a chat app built around widgets that lets your group chat do more than just talk. Because every group is different, so is every chat on Idle. Your rec softball team can add a calendar widget and a roster tracker. Your small business might need a shared Todo list widget or a place to share links. Your book club can create a poll or write in a shared notepad. And your neighborhood group can make announcements and add events to the board. In Idle, you never get features you didn’t ask for and you’re never missing the ones you need. WIDGES FOR ANY GROUP Every group has unique needs so only add the widgets that you need [Calendar] - Meetups, games, and sessions everyone can see at a glance [Events]- Post events with details and RSVPs so nothing slips through [Signup Sheets] - Keep tabs on attendance, scores, signups, or progress [Notepad]- Shared notes, lists, and agendas the whole group can edit [Paid Memberships] - Collect dues, fees, or contributions right inside the group [Polls] - Vote on the next book, the next date, the next anything [Announcements] - Pin the things that matter so they don't get buried New widgets are added regularly, so there's always more to choose from. CREATE YOUR OWN Need something that’s not off the shelf? Create your own custom one made just for your group. If your group has a need, your chat can meet it. SET THE VIBE Make the space feel like your group with custom wallpapers, your own emojis, and name tags. Idle Chat should feel like being in a friends’ living room, not the JPMorgan office. Terms: https://idlechat.app/terms Privacy: https://idlechat.app/privacy

About

Things take time

This app helps you track habits, routines, and personal metrics to visualize compounding progress over time. It displays multiple trackers simultaneously to reveal patterns and understand your growth. Designed for ease of use, it focuses on making tracking effortless and insightful.

Highlights
  • Track any habit, routine, or metric
  • View multiple trackers side-by-side
  • Visualize monthly progress at a glance
  • Intuitive and effortless tracking design
  • Detailed analytics for pattern recognition
  • Privacy-focused with on-device data storage
Features
Read full description

Good things take time. Real progress is built through small things done consistently — it won’t feel like much, until it does. Things take time is an app for tracking what matters, the small things, and seeing how they compound over time. KEY FEATURES • Track anything From habits and routines to personal metrics, notes, and daily actions — build trackers that fit your life, not the other way around. • See everything side by side Most apps show one tracker at a time, which hides the bigger picture. This one shows them all together so you can see patterns across your month. • Your month at a glance See how small things add up across your month, so you can stay consistent and notice real progress. • Built for ease of use Tracking should feel effortless. Everything is designed to be fast, simple, and intuitive. • Understand your patterns Detailed analytics for every tracker to help you uncover trends and better understand your progress over time. • Privacy first Your data stays on your device or in your iCloud. Nothing is collected, and nothing is tracked. Progress is often invisible in the moment. Things take time was built to make it visible — by showing how small things add up over time. Terms & Privacy: https://github.com/chesterhow/things-take-time/blob/main/terms-privacy.md

Screenshots

Idle4 screens
Things take time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Idle at none against Things take time's 2. Things take time's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Things take time sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Idle asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Idle ships an update every 6 days, Things take time weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Idle versus Things take time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIdleThings take time
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings7 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynthetic Solutions, Inc.Chester How

In-app purchases

None

Idle

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Things take time

Subscriptions1
  • Things take time + Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Things take time + Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is Idle free?
Idle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Things take time free?
Things take time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Idle or Things take time have ads?
Neither Idle nor Things take time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Idle or Things take time?
Idle ships an update every 6 days, and Things take time weekly. Most recently, Idle was updated on September 10, 2026 and Things take time on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons