Comparison

DateSmith vs Progress

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

Head to head
About

DateSmith

Display custom date formats or countdowns on your Lock Screen and Home Screen. Personalize with themes, photos, and text styles. Optimized for dual-screen devices and designed for privacy.

Highlights
  • Customizable date formats
  • Countdown timers
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Lock Screen integration
  • Themable designs
  • Photo customization
  • Dual-screen optimization
Features
Read full description

Your date, above the clock. DateSmith puts a clearer, fuller date in the line above your Lock Screen clock, or a countdown to the day you are looking forward to. Now optimized for iPhone Duo, with bold Home Screen widgets you can make your own. YOUR FORMAT, YOUR WAY Pick any two of month, date, weekday and year, each in the style you like. See it live in a Lock Screen preview that changes with every tap. COUNTDOWNS Name it and pick the day. DateSmith shows the days left until a trip, a birthday or a big day. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Small, medium and large widgets show your date or countdown in big, clear type, with a week strip on the medium size, a month calendar on the large size and a date page on medium countdowns. - Themes: Dawn, Ocean, Aurora, Graphite and System - Your own photo, framed for the square and wide widget shapes - A different photo for Dark Mode if you like - Liquid Glass style text with a soft highlight and depth, or crisp solid text OPTIMIZED FOR IPHONE DUO DateSmith fits both displays, folded or open, in portrait and in landscape. Open it and hold it sideways to see your Lock Screen preview and every setting side by side. UPDATES ON ITS OWN DateSmith prepares the week ahead, so your widgets change each day, even when the app is closed. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts, no ads and no analytics. Your widgets need no internet connection. DateSmith never uploads your photo. SIMPLE SETUP 1. Touch and hold your Lock Screen 2. Tap Customize 3. Tap the date above the time 4. Choose DateSmith 5. Tap Done For the Home Screen, touch and hold an empty area of your Home Screen, tap Edit, tap Add Widget, then choose DateSmith. PLANS Try every format, countdown, theme, photo and text style free for 7 days. When the preview ends, your widgets show Preview Ended in place of your date or countdown until you subscribe. DateSmith Monthly or DateSmith Yearly keeps your widgets working. DateSmith Monthly includes a one-week free trial for eligible new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://ben637482548.github.io/datesmith/#privacy

About

Progress

Read full description

Make your goals feel closer. Progress is a simple countdown app for the goals and milestones that matter to you. Set a goal, choose a date, and Progress shows you exactly how much time you have left. Whether you’re preparing for an important deadline, planning something personal, or simply giving yourself something to work towards, seeing the countdown can make the goal feel a little more real. Keep your goals in sight Create goals with a name and target date, then see your countdown at a glance. See your progress every day Progress gives you a simple visual reminder of the time between today and your goal — helping you stay focused on what’s ahead. Put your goals on your Home Screen With Progress widgets, your goals can stay visible without even opening the app. See the days remaining and keep your most important goal close at hand. Look back at what you’ve achieved The goal calendar gives you a visual history of your completed goals, so you can see the progress you’ve made over time. One goal. One date. Keep moving forward. Progress is free to use.

Screenshots

DateSmith4 screens
Progress4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Progress at none against DateSmith's 2. Progress also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.2). On price, 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. DateSmith sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Progress asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DateSmith ships an update weekly, Progress daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DateSmith versus Progress: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDateSmithProgress
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin StaabRaving Code

In-app purchases

2 purchases

DateSmith

Subscriptions2
  • DateSmith Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • DateSmith Yearly$4.991 Year
None

Progress

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DateSmith free?
DateSmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Progress free?
Progress is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DateSmith or Progress have ads?
Neither DateSmith nor Progress shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DateSmith or Progress?
DateSmith ships an update weekly, and Progress daily. Most recently, DateSmith was updated on November 5, 2026 and Progress on November 6, 2026.

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