# Chicken Scratch vs Dead Man's Switch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chicken Scratch at 75% against Dead Man's Switch's 0%. Dead Man's Switch's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chicken Scratch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Dead Man's Switch sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dead Man's Switch holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Chicken Scratch's written reviews are positive against 0% of Dead Man's Switch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chicken Scratch ships an update every 3 weeks, Dead Man's Switch every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chicken Scratch | Dead Man's Switch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicken-scratch-flock-tracker/id6747099523/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-mans-switch-check-in/id6757696281/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 11 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ctrl Alt Go Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784576658) | [Aaron Jin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738976288) |

## What reviewers say

### Chicken Scratch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicken-scratch-flock-tracker/id6747099523)

This app helps you manage your backyard chickens by tracking egg production, health, and daily tasks. It offers detailed statistics and reminders for feeding and cleaning, making flock management easy and fun.

**Highlights:** Add and manage individual chickens, Log daily egg output, Set reminders for care tasks, Track flock health and medical history, View charts and statistics, Local data storage

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coop Club Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Coop Club Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


### Dead Man's Switch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dead-mans-switch-check-in/id6757696281)

This app ensures your safety by automatically notifying chosen contacts if you miss a scheduled check-in. It offers flexible check-in intervals and customizable messages for emergencies.

**Highlights:** Scheduled check-ins, Automated contact alerts, Customizable emergency messages, Multiple check-in methods (app, widget, Siri, Apple Watch), Grace period before alerts, Away mode for travel

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| 5 Texts | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15 Texts | $1.99 | one-time |
| 40 Texts | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chicken Scratch free?

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

### Is Dead Man's Switch free?

Dead Man's Switch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chicken Scratch or Dead Man's Switch?

Dead Man's Switch is rated higher. Chicken Scratch averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Dead Man's Switch averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Chicken Scratch or Dead Man's Switch have ads?

Neither Chicken Scratch nor Dead Man's Switch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chicken Scratch or Dead Man's Switch?

Chicken Scratch ships an update every 3 weeks, and Dead Man's Switch every 3 days. Most recently, Chicken Scratch was updated on October 30, 2026 and Dead Man's Switch on November 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.*