Readeck vs Time Pencil
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Readeck
Organize your web links with categories, tags, and offline reading capabilities. This app offers a native iOS design with customizable layouts and annotation tools for an enhanced reading experience. It prioritizes user privacy with a self-hosted backend option.
- Organize links by categories and tags
- Offline reading with background sync
- Share extension for easy saving
- Customizable card layout styles
- Highlight and annotate text
- Self-hosted backend for privacy
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Organize all your links with categories, offline support, and native iOS design. The native iOS client for readeck.org brings professional bookmark management to your iPhone and iPad. iOS 26 ready – Optimized for the latest iOS version Smart Organization • Organize bookmarks in categories: All, Unread, Favorites, Archive, Articles, Videos, Pictures • Dynamic tag system with search functionality • Swipe actions for quick management Share Extension • Add URLs directly from Safari and other apps • Works with any app that supports sharing • Automatic metadata extraction Three Card Layout Styles • Compact layout for quick browsing • Magazine style for visual appeal • Natural layout for optimal readability Universal App • Native iOS design with Dark Mode support • iPad support with multi-column split view and sidebar menu • Also available for Mac • Responsive design for all devices Offline Reading • Read articles without internet connection • Automatic background sync keeps unread articles cached • Choose how many articles to cache (5–100) • Pre-download images for offline viewing • Save bookmarks offline via share extension Enhanced Reading Experience • Highlight and annotate text passages with multiple colors • 10+ fonts including Literata, Merriweather, SF Pro and New York • Article view with reading time and word count • Reading progress tracking • Undo delete system with visual progress Privacy & Control • Self-hosted backend - your data stays on your server • Secure OAuth 2.0 login via browser • VPN and private network support (e.g. Tailscale) • HTTP and self-signed certificate support • No tracking or analytics Important Note: This app requires your own Readeck server instance. You must run your own Readeck server or have access to one to use this app.
Time Pencil
Visualize your schedule by drawing events directly onto a clock face. This app offers intuitive tap-to-edit functionality and haptic feedback for a tactile planning experience. It seamlessly syncs with your iOS Calendar and iCloud, and includes widgets for your home and lock screens, plus an Apple Watch app.
- Draw events around a clock
- Tap to edit and move events
- Haptic feedback for tactile precision
- Automatic fading of past events
- Syncs with iOS Calendar and iCloud
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
- Apple Watch companion app
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Time Pencil is a clock with some markers to visualise your day with time YOUR CALENDAR, AROUND THE DIAL Time Pencil reads your existing calendars and lays each event as a colored arc on the clock. Overlaps, gaps, the shape of a busy afternoon — it's all visible at once, the way time actually feels. DRAW YOUR DAY Block out focus time, a workout, a break, or "leave for the airport" by drawing an arc right onto the clock. Drop a note sticker anywhere. Planning becomes a two-second gesture instead of a form to fill in. ALWAYS IN VIEW • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets keep today's clock a glance away. • A Live Activity counts down your next block in the Dynamic Island. • Apple Watch support to carry your day on your wrist. MAKE IT YOURS • 12-hour or 24-hour dial. • Sky mode paints the clock with the real sky — dawn, daylight, dusk, night — as the day moves. • Zen mode strips everything back to the essentials. • Marker colors, hourly chimes, and more. FREE TO SEE YOUR DAY Your calendar around the clock and the widgets are free, forever. Unlock drawing, the 24-hour dial, and Sky and Zen modes with a one-time purchase or a monthly plan — with a free trial so you can try everything first. Time Pencil speaks 20 languages, and no account is required to get started.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Readeck at none against Time Pencil's 2. Readeck also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 3). Time Pencil's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Time Pencil sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Readeck asks for nothing beyond the download.
Time Pencil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Readeck ships an update every 5 weeks, Time Pencil monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Readeck | Time Pencil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | 16.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ilyas Hallak | Vineet Kapil |
Customer experience
Readeck
Time Pencil
In-app purchases
Readeck
No in-app purchases
Time Pencil
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Lifetime$14.99








