Comparison

Pausely vs Orbit

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

Head to head
About

Pausely

Features
Read full description

Pausely turns your time off the phone into a tree you can watch grow, without locking you out of anything. HOW IT WORKS β€’ Connect Screen Time. Pausely reads your phone usage through Apple's Screen Time, with no account and no app blocking. β€’ Grow your tree. Time away from your phone earns growth points, and your seed grows through eight stages into a full tree. Heavy days hurt its health, so you see your habits every day. β€’ Plant a real one. Growth points earn seeds. Spend a seed to plant a real tree with Trees for the Future and get a certificate. WHAT YOU GET β€’ A tree that reflects your real habits β€’ Streaks and badges that reward consistency β€’ Optional reminders: a bedtime heads-up, a morning recap and a weekly recap β€’ Your real week from Screen Time, and how many years you'd spend on your phone at your current pace β€’ No lockouts, no shame WHY IT WORKS Willpower alone doesn't beat a feed built to keep you watching. Watching your progress grow every day does. No shame, and no lockouts you'll switch off after a week. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Pausely uses Apple's Screen Time framework. Your app usage stays on your iPhone, and there's no account to create. Your feed will still be there tomorrow. Your time won't. Plant your first seed today. β€” Pausely offers an auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://karia.cc/pausely/privacy-policy

About

Orbit

This app provides a shared, minimalist focus space for up to three people. It offers a subtle sense of presence to enhance concentration without distractions or social interaction. Visualize others working alongside you in real-time for a quiet, productive environment.

Highlights
  • Shared focus space for up to three
  • Real-time presence visualization
  • Anonymous and private sessions
  • Study and break cycle display
  • Daily progress tracking
  • Auto-matching to join others
Features
Read full description

Focus in the same space as someone, somewhere in the world, who is studying right now. Orbit is an online study room where up to three people share one space. There's no chat and no following. You simply see on your screen that someone else is still focusing. It's made for people who find it hard to keep going alone, but don't want the connections of social media. β–  Focus quietly, together β€’ Choose "With others" and start. You'll be matched automatically with people around the world β€’ See in real time whether the people in your space are focusing or on a break β€’ No chat, no friends, no likes. Stay anonymous and simply share the time β€’ On days you'd rather work alone, you can choose "Solo" mode β–  What you're doing, in one line β€’ Pick a subject and your current activity switches along with it β€’ Write down what you plan to do, and your recent entries will show up as suggestions next time β€’ You decide what others can see, such as your country, celestial badge and current activity β–  Timers and presets β€’ Choose from Pomodoro, Countdown or Count Up β€’ Save a subject, duration, mode and color as a preset, then start from the same setup with one tap β€’ If you turn it on, the timer keeps running even after you close the app β–  Track and look back β€’ See your weekly and monthly study time, stacked by subject β€’ Add a goal such as an exam date to see how many days are left and how many hours you'll reach at your current pace β€’ See which times of day you focus best and how long your sessions tend to be β–  Orbit is for you if β€’ You want to focus at home, whether for exams, certifications, self-study or remote work β€’ You focus better with people around you, like in a cafe or library β€’ You like working with a sense of someone nearby, like with study with me videos β€’ You're tired of social media notifications and comparing yourself to others Somewhere, someone is sitting down at their desk today too. Join them on Orbit. β–  Orbit Plus All the core features are free. Orbit Plus adds: β€’ No ads β€’ Focus rhythm insights (compare periods and subjects, and see trends by time of day and session length) β€’ Unlimited presets β€’ Up to 10 goals β€’ All color themes and Orbit patterns Subscription Information Orbit Plus is an auto-renewable subscription that provides an ad-free experience and unlocks advanced features. β€’ Title: Orbit Plus β€’ Length of Subscription: 1 Month, 3 Months, or 1 Year β€’ Prices may vary by region. The current price is shown before purchase. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the rate of your selected plan. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://miya-ux.github.io/orbit-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pausely4 screens
Orbit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pausely at none against Orbit's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Pausely sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Orbit sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 7 level
Pausely versus Orbit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPauselyOrbit
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”50.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationβ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS18.618.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size36 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKaria LLCTaichi Miyazaki

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Pausely

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Yearly14 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$129.99
4 purchases

Orbit

Subscriptions3
  • Orbit Plus Β· Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Orbit Plus Β· 3 Months$7.993 Months
  • Orbit Plus Β· Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Orbit Plus Β· Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Pausely free?
Pausely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Orbit free?
Orbit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pausely or Orbit have ads?
Orbit shows ads; Pausely does not.
Which is updated more often, Pausely or Orbit?
Pausely ships an update every 4 days, and Orbit every 4 days. Most recently, Pausely was updated on October 30, 2026 and Orbit on October 25, 2026.

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