Comparison

ImpulseLog vs Anchor

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

Head to head
About

ImpulseLog

This app provides a pause before impulse purchases, especially for those with ADHD. It helps users save items, set timers, and log decisions to make spending choices more visible and intentional. Core features are free, with optional premium upgrades for deeper insights and guidance.

Highlights
  • Pause before purchase
  • Set wait timers
  • Log bought and skipped purchases
  • Create reusable shopping lists
  • Track spending goals and milestones
  • Access weekly Coach reviews (Premium)
  • Export data (CSV/JSON)
Features
Read full description

A little space before checkout. ImpulseLog is an ADHD-friendly companion for the moment you almost buy. Save the item, take a pause, and choose what feels right. Record bought and skipped purchases honestly, without a complicated budget or a missed-day catch-up. PAUSE IN THE MOMENT Use Help me decide for a short reset, set a wait timer, or send a product link to ImpulseLog with Share to Pause. Bring a reusable shopping list into the store to keep your plan visible. MAKE YOUR CHOICES VISIBLE Log saved, bought, and pending decisions. Add mood, category, notes, or optional place context when it helps. See recorded avoided spending, goals, milestones, XP, and achievements. TRY ONE USEFUL NEXT STEP Free starter guidance is available immediately. After 3 completed decisions, try one personalized Coach sample. Choose a practical next step and check in after trying it. You can revisit your sample without subscribing. GO DEEPER WITH PREMIUM Premium adds fresh weekly Coach reviews, saved review and check-in history, deeper context patterns, 6-month and all-time Insights, and up to one year of mood history. A USEFUL FREE APP Core logging, pause tools, wait timers, shopping lists and sessions, goals, daily challenges, 7-day and 4-week Insights, 14-day mood history, and CSV/JSON data export remain free. Premium is optional. YOUR CHOICES, YOUR DATA No ads in the app. Place context is optional; ImpulseLog does not use background location tracking. Export or delete your data in Settings. Recorded avoided spending is money you chose not to spend, not proof that money moved into a savings account. Premium subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled through Apple. Review the current price and billing terms before subscribing. ImpulseLog is a self-reflection tool, not medical treatment or personalized financial advice. Privacy: https://www.impulselog.com/privacy Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: support@impulselog.com

About

Anchor

Features
Read full description

Anchor is budgeting for brains that live in the now. No spreadsheets. No 40 categories. No shame. Just one honest number: how much you can safely spend today. Anchor takes your income, subtracts your bills, savings, and investing, and turns what's left into a simple daily amount. Spend under it and the extra rolls into tomorrow. Go over, and only tomorrow takes a small hit — never your whole month. One bad day never breaks you. WHY ANCHOR IS DIFFERENT • One number a day — open the app, see what's safe to spend, done. • Log a purchase in seconds — type the amount, tap, logged. • Built for ADHD and anyone who finds traditional budgeting overwhelming. • Gentle, not guilt-trippy — going over is met with encouragement, not red alarms. STAY MOTIVATED • Build a streak for every day you stay on track. • Streak freezes protect you when life happens. • Earn XP, level up, and unlock badges as you go. • No-spend days are celebrated, not just tolerated. SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE • A clear monthly view of what's left to spend, save, and invest. • Tap any day to review or fix what you logged — even days you forgot. • Swipe through your week at a glance. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account. No sign-up. No servers. • Your data stays on your device, full stop. Whether you're neurodivergent, tired of complicated budgeting apps, or you just want one clear number to trust — Anchor keeps you grounded. Download Anchor and find your number.

Screenshots

ImpulseLog4 screens
Anchor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Anchor at none against ImpulseLog's 2. Anchor 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. ImpulseLog sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Anchor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ImpulseLog versus Anchor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterImpulseLogAnchor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB25 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBradley Scott, MunnAbdullah Aali

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ImpulseLog

Subscriptions2
  • ImpulseLog Premium$4.991 Month
  • Premium Insights Annual$29.991 Year
None

Anchor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ImpulseLog free?
ImpulseLog is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Anchor free?
Anchor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ImpulseLog or Anchor have ads?
Neither ImpulseLog nor Anchor shows ads.

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