Estudylog vs Recess
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Estudylog
Organize your academic life with a study tracker and timer. Log sessions, monitor progress, and calculate grade targets to study more effectively. Gain insights into your focus patterns and ensure comprehensive topic coverage.
- Course organization with goal dates
- Study timer with session notes and ratings
- Focus pattern insights
- Grade calculator for target scores
- Topic coverage tracking
- Consistency visualization
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MASTER YOUR STUDY ROUTINE. STUDY WITH MORE CLARITY. EstudyLog is a study tracker and study timer for high school, college, university, pre-med, and exam-prep students who want to organize courses, log study sessions, and understand their study habits. Track your study time by course, topic, and session type. See your streaks, calendar heat map, Peak Hours, Peak Days, and study charts in one place so you can study with more structure and less guesswork. WHY STUDENTS USE ESTUDYLOG * Study tracker built for real courses Create courses, add goal dates, final exams, key dates, and course outlines so all your studying stays organized. * Study timer with notes and session ratings Log Reading, Practice, Review, and Assignment sessions. Add notes while studying and rate each session based on focus and productivity. * Discover your Peak Hours and Peak Days Use Insights to see when you study best based on your own focus and productivity ratings. * Track topic coverage Attach sessions to course topics and see which parts of the syllabus you’ve covered and which ones still need attention. * Visualize consistency Use the contribution calendar, streaks, and study charts to see your habits over time and stay accountable. * Built for serious students Great for high school, university, college, pre-med, SAT, ACT, MCAT, LSAT, and self-directed learners who want structure, clarity, and measurable progress. FREE VS PLUS Free: Track limited sessions across up to 2 active courses. PLUS: Manage up to 100 courses and unlimited sessions. Study with more awareness, more consistency, and more intention—one session at a time. Terms of Use: https://estudylog.com/terms, https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Recess
This app uses your study materials to create flashcards and quizzes, blocking distracting apps until you complete them. Earn your scroll time by answering questions and building study streaks. It's designed to turn idle phone usage into productive learning sessions.
- AI flashcard generation from notes, PDFs, and slides
- Study gate to block distracting apps
- Quiz Me and Practice Test modes
- Daily study goals and streaks
- Exam ramp with test date reminders
- Spaced repetition scheduling
- Web companion for computer uploads
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Study first, then scroll. Recess puts your flashcards in front of the apps stealing your focus. Instagram, TikTok, and the rest wait behind a study gate until you have done the work. Then your recess is earned, and you can scroll guilt free. HOW IT WORKS 1. Send Recess your notes, a PDF, or your slides. Recess builds a clean deck of flashcards and quizzes in seconds, with multiple choice, true or false, and fill in the blank questions. 2. Pick the apps that pull you away and set a daily study goal. 3. When you open a gated app, a flashcard appears first. Answer it to get through. 4. Build a streak. Watch your recall climb. Turn dead scroll time into real reps. WHAT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION KEEPS RUNNING Recess Pro is a study service, not a one time download. Your subscription pays for work that happens every time you use it: - AI deck generation that runs on our servers, turning new notes, PDFs, and slides into flashcards all semester long - An exam ramp that reschedules your reps as each test date gets closer, so the work builds early instead of piling up the night before - A web companion at studyrecess.com/create for sending files from your computer straight into the app - Spaced repetition scheduling that keeps adapting to whatever you keep forgetting WHY RECESS IS DIFFERENT Willpower is not enough, and you already know it. Recess is the external force you actually needed. It takes the app you cannot put down and puts your studying in front of it, so the thing that used to wreck your focus now protects it. Recess is on your side. It is not a lecture, not a punishment, and not a productivity guru yelling at you. It is a warm nudge that gives you permission to relax once you have earned it. MADE FOR STUDENTS Whether you are cramming for a midterm, grinding pre med or nursing prereqs, keeping a 4.0, or just learning something new, Recess fits the way you already use your phone. High school, college, and self learners use it to turn idle scrolling into study time. WHAT IS INCLUDED - AI flashcards from your notes, PDFs, and slides - Three question types: multiple choice, true or false, and fill in the blank - Quiz Me and Practice Test modes to check your recall - The study gate: distracting apps wait behind your flashcards - Soft and Hard gate modes, so you choose how hard the gate pushes back - Daily study goals and streaks - Stats, a study heatmap, and weak spot drills - Test date reminders and the exam ramp - The web companion for sending decks from a computer - Private by design, your study material stays yours SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Recess requires an active Recess Pro subscription to use. There is no free tier. Eligible new subscribers can start with a 7 day free trial. Recess Pro is an auto renewable subscription: $12.99 per month, or $39.99 per year with a 7 day free trial (US pricing; local prices shown in the app). Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://studyrecess.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://studyrecess.com/terms Study first. Then scroll. You earned it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Estudylog at freemium against Recess's subscription. Estudylog also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days) and ratings volume (54 vs 8). Recess's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Estudylog sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Recess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Recess holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Estudylog has 54 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Estudylog's written reviews are positive against 100% of Recess's.
Estudylog ships an update every 3 days, Recess every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Estudylog | Recess |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (54 ratings) | 4.9 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 54 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #188 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Estudylog inc. | THOMAS JOHN GIRGASH |
Customer experience
Estudylog
Recess
In-app purchases
Estudylog
- EstudyLog Plus-Monthly$3.991 Month
- Estudylog Plus-Annual$24.991 Year
Recess
- Recess Pro Monthly$12.991 Month
- Recess Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year









