Comparison

Truly Simple Timeline vs PolyCal App

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

Head to head
About

Truly Simple Timeline

Build and visualize narrative arcs, story beats, and character involvement across novels or any project. Its drag-and-drop interface supports various event types and date spans, with cross-device functionality for easy planning and adjustments.

Highlights
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Narrative arc and story beat tracking
  • Single-date and duration events
  • BC/AD date support
  • Vertical and horizontal modes
  • Cross-device functionality
Features
Read full description

Truly Simple Timeline was built by a professional author to keep track of narrative arcs, story beats, and character moments across a novel. It’s a clean, tactile workspace where you can add events individually or in bulk, drag and drop them across centuries or hours, and adjust all your milestones whenever and however you please. Features: • Intuitive interface: Drag and drop events across hours, days, or centuries. • Flexible event types: Mix large-scale narrative arcs, single-date events, and duration periods seamlessly. • Paper-like design: Organize with a curated color palette of warm creams, slate blues, and earthy greens, paired with your own custom hues. • Reliable device sync: Your data flows effortlessly between your Mac, iPad, and iPhone, and your sync status is viewable any time. • Fully accessible: Built natively for Apple devices with full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type, and high-contrast readability. • Share timelines: Export timelines, which can then be imported into another device running TS Timeline (where it can be viewed, edited, etc) • Pay once, keep forever: All core features are free. Unlock unlimited timelines with a single one-time, lifetime in-app purchase. No subscriptions, no ads, no hidden fees.

About

PolyCal App

Features
Read full description

PolyCal is a relationship‑first calendar for people who share their life with more than one "inner circle." Instead of guessing where you'll be or who you'll be with, you can map it out clearly, fairly, and lovingly. Plan your nights and quality time • Tap on a day, choose a person, assign a color, and instantly see where you'll be sleeping or who you'll be with that night. • Mark any evening as a date night or special time so it stands out at a glance. • Quickly adjust plans when life changes — drag, edit, or reassign nights in seconds. Built for complex family setups • PolyCal shines when your relationships don't fit in a simple one‑household calendar: • A partner or parent rotating between different homes or cities • Blended or step‑families coordinating time with multiple parents and kids • Someone dating or courting multiple people and wanting to be thoughtful and fair with time • Any situation where you want a clear, honest plan for how you'll share yourself with the people who matter most Color‑coded clarity • Assign each person their own color so your schedule is instantly readable. • See patterns and imbalances right away, then rebalance with just a few taps. • Use colors to represent partners, kids, close friends, or even locations — whatever makes sense for your life. Works with your existing calendars • Add your plans from PolyCal into your preferred phone calendar. • View PolyCal events alongside work, school, or travel so you can schedule around real‑life commitments. • Keep everything in sync so you're not double‑booked or caught off guard. Designed for real‑world flexibility • Life changes. People get sick, trips pop up, kids need extra attention. PolyCal makes it easy to: • Move nights or dates without rebuilding your entire plan • Try different patterns and see what feels fair and sustainable • Keep everyone's time visible, so you can have calmer, clearer conversations PolyCal is for anyone who wants to be more intentional with how they share their time—with one partner or many, one home or several. It gives you a simple, visual way to honor your commitments, nurture every important relationship, and build a happier, more balanced life together.

Screenshots

Truly Simple Timeline3 screens
PolyCal App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PolyCal App at none against Truly Simple Timeline's 1. PolyCal App also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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. Truly Simple Timeline sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PolyCal App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Truly Simple Timeline versus PolyCal App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTruly Simple TimelinePolyCal App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperColin WrightMBS

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Truly Simple Timeline

One-time1
  • Unlock Pro$4.99
None

PolyCal App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Truly Simple Timeline free?
Truly Simple Timeline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PolyCal App free?
PolyCal App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Truly Simple Timeline or PolyCal App have ads?
Neither Truly Simple Timeline nor PolyCal App shows ads.

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